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Glossary English Terms

This glossary is only a partial list of technical terms found on the pages of the website. From time to time, as work progresses on the glossary project, new terms will be added to the list. Sanskrit equivalents for Tibetan terms have been provided only for select terms and all diacritical marks for transliterated Sanskrit have been omitted, for ease of display on all browsers.

 

English	Definition	Tibetan	Sanskrit (Pali)
Abhisambodhikaya	See: Corpus of Manifest Enlightenment.
abiding nature	The lasting, enduring nature of all phenomena; the voidness of all phenomena.	gnas-lugs
abiding traits	See: naturally abiding family-traits.
Able One	An epithet of a Buddha - one who has been able to reach the goal of enlightenment and is able to benefit all beings as much as is possible.	thub-pa	muni
Able Sage	See; Able One.
absence, absolute	See: absolute absence.
absence, bare	See: bare absence.
absolute absence	The absence of something impossible; the absence of something that has never has and never can exist.
absolute nullification	The refutation of the possibility that something could existent.
absorbed concentration	Perfect concentration fully absorbed or sunk into an object of focus.	ting-nge-‘dzin	samadhi
absorption on voidness, clear light	See: clear light absorption on voidness.
absorption, total	See: total absorption.
abstraction, nonstatic	See: noncongruent affecting variable.
abstraction, static	See: static phenomena.
access clear light mental activity	Through advanced meditation practices of the anuttarayoga tantra complete stage, to reach the clear light level of mind -- in the sense of stopping the grosser levels of mind so that the mind operates only on the underlying clear light level, which is the subtlest level of mental activity, and which has been operating with no beginning -- and then both to recognize this subtlest level of mind for what it is and utilize it for cognizing objects.
access rigpa	Through special methods used by a dzogchen master in a personal interaction with a fully prepared dzogchen practitioner, the practitioner reaching the rigpa (pure awareness) level of mind -- in the sense of making the exclusive focus of attention this underlying subtlest, untainted level of mental activity, which has been operating with no beginning -- and then both recognizing rigpa for what it is and making use of its natural properties.
accomplishing awareness	See: accomplishing deep awareness.
accomplishing deep awareness	One of the five types of deep awareness that all beings have as an aspect of Buddha-nature. The deep awareness that goes out to a cognitive object and which has the willingness to accomplish something with it, or to do something with it or to it, or to relate to it in some personal way. Also called: deep awareness to accomplish things.	bya-grub ye-shes
accomplishment	The attainment of a spiritual goal.	sgrub-pa
accordant nature	A synonym for voidness (emptiness). Some translators render the term as "thusness."	de-bzhin-nyid	tathata
accustoming pathway mind	The level of mind of arya shravakas, arya pratyekabuddhas, and arya bodhisattvas with which they accustom themselves to the joined pair of shamatha and vipashyana focused nonconceptually on voidness -- or, in general, on the sixtenn aspects of the four noble truths -- and thereby rid themselves of either one or both sets of automatically arising obscurations.	sgom-lam	bhavanamarga
acquired nirvana	Extinguished states of release from all samsaric sufferings and their true causes, which are attained through the power of meditation.	thob-pa‘i mya-ngan ‘das
acquirement	The obtainment or gain of something, such as a vow or a spiritual attainment, imputable on the mental continuum of the one who has gained it. An acquisition or acquiring is a noncomitant affecting variable -- a nonstatic phenomenon that is neither a form of material phenomena or a way of being aware of something.	thob-pa
action, faulty	See: faulty action.
action, karmic	See: karmic action.
action, naturally destructive unspeakable	See: naturally destructive unspeakable action.
action, prohibited unspeakable	See: prohibited unspeakable action.
action, thick	See: thick action.
action, unspeakable	See: unspeakable action.
activate	To cause a karmic tendency to become a manifest karmic impulse that will give its result in the next moment.	gsos-‘debs, nus-pa mthu-can-du byed-pa
actual attainment	A significant spiritual goal that one actually attains or, literally, "makes actual" or "makes real" on one‘s mental continuum. The ordinary actual attainments refer to extrasensory and extraphysical powers, while the supreme actuall attainment refers to enlightenment.	dngos-grub	siddhi
actual clear light mind	A subtlest level of consciousness that has a nonconceptual, blissful cognition of voidness.	don-gyi ‘od-gsal
actual nature	A synonym for voidness (emptiness) or, in some mahamudra and dzogchen systems, the nature of everything as the play of inseparable awareness and voidness.	chos-nyid	dharmata
actualize	To attain a spiritual goal. To make the attainment of a spiritual goal really (actually) happen. Also translated as "attain" and "attainment."	sgrub-pa
advanced awareness	Nonconceptual straightforward cognition of places, times, and distances that are obscure phenomena and of situations that are extremely obscure phenomena. A general term for both the five types of advanced awareness and the six extrasensory eyes, both of which are gained as a byproduct of the attainment of an actual state of the first level of mental constancy (the first dhyana). Sometimes also translated as "heightened awareness" or "extrasensory perception."	mngon-shes	abhijna
advanced awareness for extraphysical emanation	Cognition that is able to produce many different simultaneous emanations that are any one of three types: (1) physical emanations made of the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space, (2) verbal emanations -- speaking in such a way that various people can understand the words in their own languages and at their own levels of understanding, or (3) mental emanations of thoughts and levels of mind, such as awareness of many levels of meaning of a Dharma passage. One of the six types of advanced awareness gained as a byproduct of the attainment of an actual state of the first level of mental constancy (the first dhyana).	rdzu-‘phrul-gyi mngon-shes
advanced awareness of knowing other‘s minds	Cognition of others’ thoughts and states of mind. One of the six types of advanced awareness gained as a byproduct of the attainment of an actual state of the first level of mental constancy (the first dhyana).	gzhan-sems shes-pa‘i mngon-shes
advanced awareness of recollection of past situations	Cognition of past lives. One of the six types of advanced awareness gained as a byproduct of the attainment of an actual state of the first level of mental constancy (the first dhyana).	sngon-gnas rjes-dran-gyi mngon-shes
advanced awareness of the depletion of tainted factors	One of the six types of advanced awareness gained as a byproduct of the attainment of an actual state of the first level of mental constancy (the first dhyana). Cognition of one's own state of being rid forever of the emotional obscurations preventing liberation from samsara.	zag-pa zad-pa‘i mngon-shes
advanced awareness of the divine ear	Cognition that is able to hear sounds at any distance and to understand them, regardless of language. One of the six types of advanced awareness gained as a byproduct of the attainment of an actual state of the first level of mental constancy (the first dhyana).	lha‘i rna-ba‘i mngon-shes
advanced awareness of the divine eye	One of the six types of advanced awareness gained as a byproduct of the attainment of an actual state of the first level of mental constancy (the first dhyana). (1) According to the Karma Kagyu explanation, cognition of the different effects of karma on different beings, such as their future rebirths. (2) According to Gelug, cognition of gross (obvious) forms and subtle forms, incvluding those at great distances in space and time.	lha‘i mig-gi mngon-shes
affected phenomenon	A phenomenon that arises because of the influence of causes and conditions, and which changes because of constantly being influenced by causes and conditions. This refers to all nonstatic phenomena. Translators often render the term as "conditioned phenomenon."	‘dus-byas-kyi chos	samskrtadharma
affecting impulses	The second of the twelve links of dependent arising. A karmic impulkse that will affect future lives; synonymous with "throwing karma." Some translators render the term as "karmic formations."	‘du-byed	samskara
affecting variable	A phenomenon that continually changes (a nonstatic phenomenon) and which influences other nonstatic phenomenon to arise, in the sense that it contributes to causing them to happen.	‘du-byed	samskara
affirmation	See: affirmation phenomenon.
affirmation phenomenon	An item, or a truth about an item, defined in terms of the establishment of something, without an object to be negated being explicitly precluded by the sounds that express it.	sgrub-pa
affirmingly known phenomenon	See: affirmation phenomenon.
affliction, emotional	See: disturbing emotion or attitude.
aftermath	See: karmic aftermath.
aftermath, karmic	See: karmic aftermath.
agent	The person who commits an action.	byed-pa-po
aggregate	A network of many items, all of which are nonstatic phenomena. See also: aggregate factors of experience.	phung-po	skandha
aggregate factors of experience	The five networks (five aggregates) that constitute all the nonstatic phenomena that make up each moment of the mental continuum of each limited being.	phung-po	skandha
aggregate of consciousness	See: aggregate of primary consciousnesses.
aggregate of distinguishing	One of the five aggregate factors of experience. The network of all instances of the subsidiary awareness (mental factor) of distinguishing that could be part of any moment of experience on someone‘s mental continuum. Some translators render the term as "aggregate of recognition." See: distinguishing.	‘du-shes-kyi phung-po	samjna-skandha
aggregate of feelings	See: aggregate of feelings of a level of happiness
aggregate of feelings of a level of happiness	One of the five aggregate factors of experience. The network of all instances of the subsidiary awareness (mental factor) of feeling a level of unhappiness that could be part of any moment of experience on someone's mental continuum. Also called "aggregate of feelings." See: feeling a level of happiness.	tshor-ba’i phung-po	vedana-skandha
aggregate of forms	See: aggregate of forms of physical phenomena.
aggregate of forms of physical phenomena	One of the five aggregate factors of experience. The network of all instances of all types of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, physical sensations, physical sensors, and forms of physical phenomena that are stimulators of only mental cognition. Also called "aggregate of forms."	gzugs-kyi phung-po	rupa-skandha
aggregate of karmic formations	See: aggregate of other affecting variables
aggregate of other affecting variables	One of the five aggregate factors of experience. The network of all instances of subsidiary awarenesses (mental factors), other than feelings of levelks of happiness and distinguishing, as well as all instances of nonconcomitamnt affecting variables, that could be part of any moment of experience on someone‘s mental continuum. Some translators render the term as "aggregate of volitions" or "aggregate of karmic formations."	‘du-byed-kyi phung-po	samskara-skandha
aggregate of primary consciousness	One of the five aggregate factors of experience. The network of all instances of mental consciousness or any of the five types of sensory consciousness that could be part of any moment of experience on someone‘s mental continuum. It also includes the network of all instances of deluded awareness and all-encompassing foundation consciousness in those systems that assert these two. Also called: "aggregate of consciousness."	rnam-shes-kyi phung-po	vijnana-skandha
aggregate of recognition	See: aggregate of distinguishing.
aggregate of volitions	See: aggregate of other affecting variables.
aim, causal motivating	See: causal motivating aim
aim, contemporaneous motivating	See: contemporaneous motivating aim
aim, motivating	See: motivating aim
alaya	See: basis for all.
alaya for habits	In the dzogchen system, foundational awareness for the habits of grasping for true existence, for karma, and for memories. The type of limited awareness that basis rigpa functions as, when it is mixed with dumbfoundedness.	bag-chags-kyi kun-gzhi
alaya, deep-awareness	See: deep-awareness alaya.
alaya, primordial deepest	See: primordial deepest alaya.
alaya, specific-awareness	See: specific-awareness alaya.
alayavijnana	See: all-encompassing foundation consciousness.
alertness	The mental factor that checks the condition of mindfulness’s mental hold on the object of focus. It sees if the mental hold has been lost or is too weak or too tight due to flightiness of mind or mental dullness. It is more, however, than just reflexive awareness or implicit apprehension, which merely notices what is happening with the meditation. It resembles an alarm system to trigger a response with restoring attention to correct any faults.	shes-bzhin	samprajanya
all-encompassing foundation consciousness	An unspecified, nonobstructive, individual consciousness that underlies all cognition, cognizes the same objects as the cognitions it underlies, but is a nondetermining cognition of what appears to it and lacks clarity of its objects. It carries the karmic legacies of karma and the mental impressions of memories, in the sense that they are imputed on it. It is also translated as "foundation consciousness" and, by some translators, as "storehouse consciousness." According to Gelug, asserted only by the Chittamatra system; according to non-Gelug, assserted by both the Chittamatra and Madhyamaka systems.	kun-gzhi rnam-shes	alayavijnana
all-permeating	The quality of rigpa (pure awareness) that it interpenetrates and pervades all instances of limited awareness (sem) without obstruction, in the same manner as oil permeates sesame seeds.	zang-thal
all-pervasive suffering	See: all-pervasively affecting suffering.
all-pervasively affecting suffering	The suffering that comes simply from having tainted aggregates that serve as the basis for experiencing the suffering of suffering and the suffering of change. Such suffering is all-pervasive since it affects every moment of samsaric experience.	khyab-par ‘du-byed-kyi sdug-bsngal
amulet box tradition	A tradition of mahamudra meditation transmitted in the Shangpa Kagyu school.	ga‘u-ma
analysis	See: subtle discernment.
analytical meditation	See: discerning meditation.
anger	A root disturbing emotion, aimed at another limited being, one‘s own suffering, or situations entailing suffering, and which is impatient with them and wishes to get rid of them, such as by damaging or hurting them, or by striking out against them. It is based on regarding its object as unattractive or repulsive by its very nature.	khong-khro	kroddha
antecedent practice for realization	A visualization practice in which one imagines oneself to be a Buddha-figure, for which one has received empowerment, and which one does as a method for actualizing oneself as the figure. Synonymous with "sadhana."	mngon-rtogs
anuttarayoga tantra	In the Sarma (New Translation Period) Tibetan Buddhist schools, the fourth or highest class of tantra practice, emphasizing special internal methods for actualizing oneself as a Buddha-figure.	bla-med rnal-‘byor
anuyoga tantra	In the Nyingma system, the second of the three inner classes of tantra, emphasizing practices involving the subtle energy-system of winds, channels, and creative energy-drops.	a-nu yo-ga
apparent Buddha Gem	The Corpus of Forms of a Buddha, as a source of safe direction.	kun-rdzob-pa‘i sangs-rgyas dkon-mchog
apparent Dharma Gem	The twelve textual categories of teachings proclaimed by a Buddha‘s enlightening speech, as a source of safe direction.	kun-rdzob-pa‘i chos dkon-mchog
apparent level Precious Gems	The level of Three Rare and Supreme Gems that are apparent to limited beings and which conceal a deeper level gem.	kun-rdzob-pa’i dkon-mchog
apparent Sangha Gem	The individual person of any arya, whether lay or monastic, as a source of safe direction.	kun-rdzob-pa‘i dge-‘dun dkon-mchog
apparent true phenomenon	See: superficial true phenomenon.
apparent truth	See: superficial truth.
appearance	The mental hologram (mental representation) of any external or internal object of cognition, which arises in the mind	snang-ba
appearance, cognitive	See: cognitive appearance.
appearance, deceptive	See: deceptive appearance.
appearance, giving rise to	See: appearance-making.
appearance, impure	See: impure appearance.
appearance, pure	See: pure appearance.
appearance, reflexive	See: reflexive appearance.
appearance-making	The aspect of mental activity that gives rise to (makes) a mental hologram of an object of cognition.	snang-ba
appearance-making basis rigpa	Pure awareness (rigpa) from the point of view of its aspect of spontaneously establishing appearances. Synonymous with the term: effulgent rigpa.	gzhi-snang-gi rig-pa
appearance-making of non-true existence	According to the Nyingma school, the aspect of a limited being‘s sensory or nonconceptual mental activity that gives rise to (makes) a mental hologram of objects of cognition without making them appear to be truly existent "this"s or "that"s, in the sense in which Madhyamaka defines true existence.	med-snang
appearance-making of true existence	The aspect of a limited being‘s mental activity that gives rise to (makes) a mental hologram of true existence. It makes the mental holograms of objects of cognition appear to be truly existent, in the sense in which the Madhyamaka schools define true existence. In the non-Gelug systems, it occurs only with conceptual cognition and it makes appearances of objects of cognition to be truly "this"s and "that"s.	bden-snang
appearance-making, dual	See: dual appearance-making.
appearances of non-true existence	In the Nyingma system, mental holograms of objects of cognition, which do not make them appear as if they were truly existent "this"s or "that"s. This occurs only with sensory and nonconceptual mental cognition.	med-snang
appearing object	The mental hologram (mental representation) of any external or internal object of cognition, which a cognition gives rise to. Equivalent to the cognitively taken object. Sometimes used interchangeably with "mental aspect," and sometimes differentiated from "mental aspect" in the sense that a cognition takes on the "mental aspect" of its appearing object.	snang-yul
applying pathway mind	The level of mind of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas with which they apply the joined pair of shamatha and vipashyana, focused conceptually on voidness -- or, in general, on the sixteen aspects of the four noble truths -- and which they gained with a building-up pathway mind, to gaining a nonconceptual focus on voidness. Other translators often render this term as "path of preparation."	sbyor-lam	prayogamarga
appreciation	Valuing something highly, usually the kindness of someone. Often used in the context of appreciating the kindess of one‘s spiritual mentor. Also called: respect.	gus-pa
apprehend	To cognitively take an object of cognition both correctly and decisively.	rtogs-pa
apprehension	See: apprehend.
apprehension, explicit	See: explicit apprehension.
apprehension, implicit	See: implicit apprehension.
approximate and actualize oneself as a Buddha-figure	Intensive tantric meditation practice entailing visualization of oneself as a Buddha-figure and recitation of the appropriate mantras.	bsnyen-sgrub
approximation retreat, great	See: great approximation retreat.
arhat	A practitioner, of the shravaka, pratyekabuddha, or bodhisattva class, who has achieved a true stopping of the emotional obscurations and thus has attained liberation (nirvana). Also called a "liberated being." Some translators render the term as "foe-destroyer."	dgra-bcom-pa	arhat
arhatship	The state of an arhat.
arising, cognitive	See: cognitive arising.
artificial	See: contrived.
arya	A practitioner who has had nonconceptual cognition of the four noble truths and thus has attained a shravaka, pratyekabuddha, or bodhisattva seeing pathway of mind (path of seeing). Also called a "highly realized practitioner" or a "highly realized being." Some translators render the term as "noble one."	‘phags-pa	arya
arya bodhisattva	A bodhisattva that has attained nonconceptual cognition of voidness. See also: bodhisattva.	byang-sems ‘phags-pa	arya bodhisattva
arya pathway mind	The three pathway minds of shravaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva aryas (those with nonconceptual cognition of the four noble truths) -- namely, their seeing and accustoming pathway minds, and their pathway minds needing no further training.	‘phags-lam	aryamarga
arya pratyekabuddha	A pratyekabuddha that has attained nonconeptual cognition of the four noble truths. See also: pratyekabuddha.	rang-rgyal ‘phags-pa	arya prtatyekabuddha
arya shravaka	A shravaka that has attained nonconceptual cognition of the four noble truths. See also: shravaka.	nyan-thos ‘phags-pa	arya shravaka
ascertainment	A decisive cognition of a cognitive object; decisively knowing what an object of cognition is or how it exists.	gtan-la dbab-pa, nges-pa
aspect, mental	See: mental aspect.
aspirational prayer	A prayer for the attainment of a spiritual goal or of the circumstances conducive for reaching that goal.	smon-lam	pranidhana
aspiring bodhichitta	A mind of bodhichitta which, when focused on one's own individual future enlightenment, is accompanied by the aspiration or wish to attain that enlightenment.	smon-sems, smon-pa’i sems-bskyed
aspiring state of aspiring bodhichitta	See: merely aspiring state of aspiring bodhichitta
assertion	A position, accepted by a Buddhist or non-Buddhist tenet system, in regard to a philosophical point.
associated with confusion	See: tainted.	zag-bcas
atiyoga	In the Nyingma system, the second of the three classes of inner tantras, in which meditation practice involving the subtle energy channels and winds are emphasized.	a-ti-yo-ga
attachment	The disturbing emotion that exaggerates the good qualities of an object that one possesses and does not wish to let go of it.	‘dod-chags, chags-pa	raga
attachment, sticky	See: sticky attachment.
attain	See: actualize.
attainment, actual	See: actual attainment.
attainment, subsequent	See: subsequent attainment.
attention	The ever-functioning mental factor that engages mental activity with a specific cognitive object. The cognitive engagement may be merely to pay some level of attention to the object (strong or weak), or to focus on the object in a certain way (painstakingly, effortlessly, etc.), or to consider the object in a certain way (concordantly or discordantly). Also called: paying attention, regard.	yid-la byed-pa	manasi
attention, restoring	See: restoring attention.
attitude	A mental factor that takes its cognitive object by regarding it from a certain point of view.	blo
attitude of confusion	See: confusion.
attitude, disturbing	See: disturbing attitude.
attitude, far-reaching	See: far-reaching attitude.
attitude, nominal disturbing	See: nominal disturbing attitude.
attitude-training	A spiritual training in which one cleanses disturbing attitudes from one‘s mind and trains to replace them with constructive attitudes. Also called: cleansing of attitudes, mind-training, Lojong.	blo-sbyong
audio category	The conceptual category of the sound of a word or name, in which the sound of all individual pronunciations of the word or name fit, regardless of the voice, volume, or pronunciation with which it is spoken.	sgra-spyi
audio universal	See: audio category.
automatically arising disturbing emotions and attitudes	Disturbing emotions and attitudes that arise on a person‘s mental continuum without being based on that person having been taught an incorrect tenet system.	nyon-mongs lhan-syes
automatically arising ignorance	See: automatically arising unawareness.
automatically arising unawareness	The mental factor of either not knowing or knowing invertedly either behavioral cause and effect or the manner in which the self and all phenomena exist, and which arises on a person‘s mental continuum without being based on that person having been taught an incorrect tenet system. Also called: automatically arising ignorance.	ma-rigs lhan-skyes
auxiliary closely bonding practices	A set of nine practices and attitudes that, during an anuttarayoga tantra empowerment, one pledges to maintain in order to keep a close connection with tantra practice.	yan-lag-gi dam-tshig
auxiliary thick actions	A set of actions, in addition to the eight thick actions, that, at either a yoga or anuttarayoga empowerment, one vows to avoid and which, if committed, weaken meditation practice and hamper progress along the tantra path. Also called: auxiliary secondary tantric vows.	yan-lag-gi sbom-po
aversion	See: anger.
awareness	The most general, all-inclusive term for cognizing an object. It is used in the sense of both being aware of something and making something an object of awareness, but not necessarily as a conscious act of will or knowing what the object is.
awareness of its own face	The nonconceptual cognition, by rigpa (pure awareness), of its own nature.	rang-ngo shes-pa
awareness, accomplishing	See: accomplishing deep awareness.	bya-grub ye-shes
awareness, advanced	See: advanced awareness.
awareness, clear light	See: clear light awareness.
awareness, decisive	See: ascertainment.
awareness, deep	See: deep awareness.
awareness, deep (five types)	See: five types of deep awareness.
awareness, discriminating	See: discriminating awareness.
awareness, general	See: general awareness.
awareness, limited	See: sem.
awareness, normal	See: normal awareness.
awareness, primally pure	See: primal purity.
awareness, principal	See: principal awareness.
awareness, pure	See: pure awareness.
awareness, reflexive	See: reflexive awareness.
awareness, reflexive deep	See: reflexive deep awareness.
awareness, specific	See: specific awareness.
awareness, subsidiary	See: subsidiary awareness.
balanced sensitivity	The mental state of being neither overly or underly attentive and neither overly, underly, or inappropriately responsive, both with feelings and actions, to either the situation of others or oneself, or the effect of one's behavior on others or on oneself.
bardo	The state of existence in between the moment immediately after death until the moment immediately before conception. Translated as the "inbetween state."	bar-do
bardo existence	The period of time in the mental continuum of an individual limited being starting from the moment immediately after death until the moment immediately before conception.	bar-do’i srid-pa
bare absence	The natural state of being without concepts or conceptual cognition, which is the natural state or nature of awareness (mind).	stong-sang, stong-pa
bare cognition	Cognition of a cognitive object without that cognition being through the medium of a concept, universal, or category.	mngon-sum
bareness	See: bare absence.
basis for all	A synonym for rigpa (pure awareness), used primarily in treasure texts of the mind division.	kun-shes	alaya
basis level	The level of something, such as Buddha-nature, that occurs in general, whether or not one has achieved some attainment on the Buddhist spiritual path.	gzhi
basis rigpa	Pure awareness (rigpa) from the point of view of it being a type of Buddha-nature or working basis for attaining enlightenment.	gzhi‘i rig-pa
behavior, tamed	See: tamed behavior.
behavioral cause and effect	The principles of karma, whereby certain actions produce certain effects. The cause is our behavior – how we act, speak, and think – and the effect is what we experience. Behavioral cause and effect is about the connection between our behavior and what we experience as a result.	las-‘bras
being true to one‘s word	The mental state with which, once one gives one‘s word to do something to benefit others, one does not break one‘s promise. The seventh of the ten far-reaching attitudes developed by bodhisattvas according to the Theravada tradition.	bden-pa	satya (Pali: sacca)
being, ordinary	See: ordinary being.
belief in a fact based on reason	A constructive emotion that considers a fact about something to be true, based on having thought, with logic, about the reasons that prove it.	yid-ches-kyi dad-pa
belief in a fact with an aspiration	A constructive emotion that considers true both a fact about something and a wish one holds about that object, such as that one can attain a positive goal and that one will attain it.	mngon-‘dod-kyi dad-pa
belief in a fact, clearheaded	See: clearheaded belief in a fact.
belief in facts	See: believing a fact to be true.
believing a fact to be true	A constructive emotion that focuses on something existent and validly knowable, something with good qualities, or an actual potential, and considers it either existent or true, or considers a fact about it as true. Some translators render the term as "faith."	dad-pa	shraddha
bewilderment	A naïve state of mind of not know what is happening.	rmongs-pa
Bhagavan	See: Vanquishing Master Surpassing All.
bhumi-mind	A level of mind of an arya bodhisattva. Some translators render the term as "bodhisattva stage" or simply as "stage."	sa
binding factors, four	See: four binding factors.
Blessed One	See: Vanquishing Master Surpassing All.
blessings	See: inspiration.
bliss	See: blissful awareness.
blissful awareness	A state of mind, either tainted or untainted, characterized by varying levels of intensity of happiness. Some of the untainted ones can be utilized in anuttarayoga tantra practice as the type of awareness with which to focus on voidness, and as an aid for dissolving the energy-winds in the central channel in order to gain access to clear light awareness.	bde-ba	sukha
Blissfully Gone One	An epithet of a Buddha - one who has reached the blissful goal of enlightenment through methods that produce happiness along the way to reaching that goal.	bde-bar gshegs-pa	sugata
bodhi	See: purified state.
bodhichitta	Usually used in the meaning of relative bodhichitta: A mind or heart focused first on the benefit of all limited beings and then on one‘s own individual future enlightenment, with the intention to attain that enlightenment and to benefit others by means of that attainment.	byang-chub sems, byang-sems	bodhicitta
bodhichitta aim	The type of aim, goal, or focus that a bodhichitta mind has. Used as a synonym for bodhichitta.	byang-chub sems, byang-sems	bodhicitta
bodhichitta motivation	The kind of motivation that bodhichitta is. Used as a synonym for bodhichitta.	byang-chub sems, byang-sems	bodhicitta
bodhichitta, aspiring	See: aspiring bodhichitta.
bodhichitta, deepest	See: deepest bodhichitta.
bodhichitta, engaged	See: engaged bodhichitta.
bodhichitta, pledged state of aspiring	See: pledged state of aspiring bodhichitta.
bodhichitta, relative	See: relative bodhichitta.
bodhichitta, ultimate	See: deepest bodhichitta.
bodhichitta, unlabored	See: unlabored bodhichitta.
bodhisattva	Someone who has developed unlabored bodhichitta.	byang-chub sems-dpa‘
bodhisattva vows	The set of restraints from committing certain actions (eighteen root downfalls and forty-six faulty actions) that, if committed, would be detrimental to achieving enlightenement and benefiting all others.	byang-sems sdom-pa
Body Encompassing Everything	See: Corpus Encompassing Everything.
body mandala	A network of Buddha-figures arranged inside the body of a Buddha-figure.	lus-dkyil
Body of Deep Awareness Encompassing Everything	See: Corpus of Deep Awareness' Enlightening Influence.
Body of Deep Awareness' Enlightening Influence	See: Corpus of Deep Awareness Encompassing Everything.
Body of Essential Nature	See: Corpus of Essential Nature.
Body of Forms	See: Corpus of Forms.
Body of Full Use	See: Corpus of Full Use.
Body of Great Bliss	See: Corpus of Great Bliss.	bde-ba chen-po‘i sku
Body of Manifest Enlightenment	See: Corpus of Manifest Enlightenment.
body, rainbow	See: rainbow body.
body, subtle	See: subtle body.
body, subtlest	See: subtlest body.
body, vajra	See: vajra-body.
bonding practice	A type of behavior or a state of mind, which, when practiced, maintains a close connection with either a certain tantra or a certain spiritual master. Also called: closely bonding practice, close bonds	dam-tshig	samaya
bonding practice, auxiliary closely	See: auxiliary closely bonding practice.
bonding substances	Substances, such as alcohol and meat, purified, transformed, and consecrated during a tantra ritual and offered to a Buddha-figure in order to maintain a close bond (close connection) with that figure, as one has promised to do.	dam-rdzas
bountiful store of positive force	See: network of positive force.
break-through	The practice, and resultant stage of the practice, in dzogchen during which one "breaks through" the level of limited mind (sems) and both recognizes and accesses essence rigpa, thereby attaining a seeing pathway of mind (path of seeing) and becoming an arya.	thregs-chod
break-through stage	See: break-through.
Buddha	A fully enlightened being; someone who has totally eliminated, forever, from his or her mental continuum both the emotional and cognitive obscurations.	sangs-rgyas
Buddha Gem, apparent	See: apparent Buddha Gem.
Buddha Gem, nominal	See: nominal Buddha Gem.
Buddha-Bodies, Five	See: Five Corpuses of a Buddha.
Buddha-Bodies, Four	See: Four Corpuses of a Buddha.
Buddha-Bodies, Three	See: Three Corpuses of a Buddha.
Buddha-Bodies, Two	See: Two Corpuses of a Buddha.
Buddha-Body	See: Corpus of a Buddha.
Buddha-field	A non-samsaric realm in which the circumstances are the most conducive for uninterrupted intense spiritual practice for gaining Buddhahood. It is a field in the sense of being a place in which one can grow or develop a tremendous amount of positive force (merit). It is synonymous with a pure-land.	sangs-rgyas-kyi zhing, sangs-rgyas zhing
Buddha-figure	An emanated form of a Buddha, often with multiple faces, arms, and legs, which tantric practitioners visualize themselves as. This is done in order to create a close bond with the figure so as to be able to attain enlightenment, in the form of that figure, through such practice.	yi-dam	ishtadevata
Buddhism professor	A teacher, either lay or monastic, Western or Asian, who imparts information about Buddhism gained from scriptural knowledge and/or scholarly research.
Budha Gem, deepest	See: deepest Buddha Gem.
building-up pathway mind	The level of mind with which shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, or bodhisattvas build up, among other good qualities, the joined pair of a stilled and settled state of mind (shamatha) and an exceptionally perceptive state of mind (vipashyana) focused conceptually on voidness -- or, in general, on the sixteen aspects of the four noble truths. It only pertains to shravakas and pratyekabuddhas once they have attained an unlabored determination to be free, or to bodhisattvas once, in addition, they have attained unlabored bodhichitta. Others often render this term as "path of accumulation."	tshogs-lam	sambharamarga
calm abiding	See: stilled and settled state of mind.
caring attitude	The subsidiary awareness that takes seriously the situations of others and oneself, and the effects of one‘s actions on others and on oneself, and which consequently causes one to build up as a habit constructive attitudes and behavior and safeguards against leaning toward tainted or destructive attitudes and behavior.	bag-yod	apramada
caring heart	See: caring attitude.
caring love	See: love.
category	A phenomenon shared in common by the individuals on which it is imputed. Some translators render the term as "universal" or "generality."	spyi
causal taking of safe direction	A taking of safe direction (refuge) in which the sources of that safe direction are the persons or phenomena that act as causes for one‘s our own attainments of the Three Gems, namely the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha already attained by others. Synonymous with "mere taking of safe direction."	rgyu’i skyabs-‘gro
cause and effect	See: behavioral cause and effect.
cause and effect, behavioral	See: behavioral cause and effect.
cause, direct	See: direct cause
cause, obtaining	See: obtaining cause
cause, similar family	See: similar family cause
cause, simultaneously acting	See: simultaneously acting cause
causes, equal status	see: equal status causes
ceremonial round of offering a ritual feast	A tantra ritual, part of a puja, in which specially consecrated offerings, usually including a torma, are made to one's spiritual master inseparable from a Buddha-figure. In anuttarayoga tantra, the offerings include consecrated alcohol and meat.	tshogs-‘khor	ganacakra
cherishing concerned love	The subsidiary awareness (mental factor) with which, not only does one wish others to be happy and to have the causes for happiness, but with which one values the welfare of others highly and would feel sad if anything bad happened to them.	gces-zhing pham-pa’i byams-pa
cherishing others	The attitude with which one considers others as the most precious and important ones; and has affection for and takes care of mainly others.	gzhan gces-par ‘dzin-pa, gzhan-gces
clarity	As a defining characteristic of mind, the ability, mental activity, or event of making cognitive objects arise -- or giving rise to cognitive objects -- so that they can be cognized. A mental hologram of the cognitive object need not even arise in the cognition, since the object may be implicitly cognized. Clarity is not some sort of light in one‘s head that has varying intensity and illuminates objects that are already present. Nor does it have anything to do with an object of cognition being in focus or being understood. Moreover, giving rise to a cogntive object has no implication of passivity or lack of responsibility on the one hand, or conscious will on the other. As an event, clarity just naturally happens every moment of every mental continuum.	gsal
cleansing of attitudes	See: attitude-training.
clear light awareness	The subtlest level of mental activity (mind), which continues with no beginning and no end, without any break, even during death and even into Buddhahood. It is individual and constitutes the mental continuum of each being. It is naturally free of conceptual cognition, the appearance-making of true existence, and grasping for true existence, since it is more subtle than the grosser levels of mental activity with which these occur. It has nothing to do with "light."	‘od-gsal
clear light mental activity	See: clear light awareness.
clear light mind	See: clear light awareness.
clear light mind, actual	See: actual clear light mind.
clear light mind, model	See: model clear light mind.
clear light, object	See: object clear light.
clearheaded belief in a fact	A constructive emotion that is clear about a fact and, like a water purifier, clears the mind of disturbing emotions and attitudes about the object.	dang-ba‘i dad-pa
close bond	See: bonding practice.	dam-tshig	samaya
closely bonding practice	See: bonding practice.
cloth mandala	A two-dimensional representation, painted on cloth, which is like an architectural blueprint of the three-dimensional palace, environment, and Buddha-figures of a symbolic world system, and used for conferring a tantric empowerment.	ras-bris-kyi dkyil-‘khor
cognition	(1) The act of cognizing or knowing something, but without necessarily knowing what it is or what it means. It may be either valid or invalid, conceptual or nonconceptual . This is the most general term for knowing something. (2) The "package" of a primary consciousness, its accompanying mental factors (subsidiary awarenesses), and the cognitive object shared by all of them. According to some systems, a cognition also includes reflexive awareness.	shes-pa
cognition, bare	See: bare cognition.
cognition, conceptual	See: conceptual cognition.
cognition, deceptive	See: deceptive cognition.
cognition, direct	See: direct cognition.
cognition, distorted	See: distorted cognition.
cognition, explicit	See: explicit cognition.
cognition, implicit	See: implicit cognition.
cognition, indirect	See: indirect cognition.
cognition, inferential	See: inferential cognition.
cognition, invalid	See: invalid cognition.
cognition, nonconceptual	See: nonconceptual cognition.
cognition, nondetermining	See: nondetermining cognition.
cognition, straightforward	See: straightforward cognition.
cognition, subsequent	See: subsequent cognition.
cognition, valid	See: valid cognition.
cognitive arising	A cognitive appearance that has arisen on a mental continuum. See: dawn.	‘char-ba, shar-ba
cognitive obscurations	Fleeting stains that temporarily "cover" or accompany mental activity (more precisely, clear light mental activity), thereby preventing the mental activity from simultaneously cognizing the two truths about all phenomena. Also translated as "obscuratons about all knowables" and "obscurations preventing omniscience."	shes-sgrib	jneyavarana
cognitive open space	Rigpa (pure awareness) from the point of view of its essential nature as that which underlies and allows for the arising of appearances and the cognizing of them, with the latter being more prominent. Synonymous with essence rigpa and the cognitive sphere.	klong
cognitive sensor	The dominating condition that determines the type of cognition a way of being aware of something is. In the case of the five types of sensory cognition, it is the photosensitive cells of the eyes, the sound-sensitive cells of the ears, the smell-sensitive cells of the nose, the taste-sensitive cells of the tongue, and the physical-sensation-sensitive cells of the body. In the case of mental cognition, it is the immediately preceding moment of cognition. Some translators render the term as "sense power."	dbang-po	indriya
cognitive space	See: cognitive open space.
cognitive sphere	Rigpa (pure awareness) from the point of view of its essential nature as that which underlies and allows for the arising of appearances and the cognizing of them, with the latter being more prominent. Synonymous with essence rigpa and the cognitive open space.	dbyings	dhatu
cognitive stimulator	See: stimulators of cognition.
cognitively taking an object	Cognizing an object - taking a validly knowable phenomenon as an object of cognition in the sense of cognizing it with either a valid or invalid way of knowing.	‘dzin-pa	graha
cognitively taking an object, way of	See: way of cognitively taking an object
cognize	See: cognition.
collection mental synthesis	A whole imputed on spatial, sensorial, and/or temporal parts.	tshogs-spyi
collection of wisdom	See: network of deep awareness.
collection universal	See: collection mental synthesis.
commitment	A spiritual practice that one promises to do. The mental factor with which one makes such a promise. The promise may be made either formally with a ritual or informally, and either verbally or nonverbally. In the case of commitment toward a spiritual master, the mental factor with which one promises to relate to that teacher in a healthy manner, in accord with the traditional scriptural description. The term does not have the connotation of a sense of duty or an obligation.
commonsense object	An external sensory object, extending over the sensibilia (sense data) of several senses and over time; what an ordinary person, when cogniziing one moment of the sensibilia of one sense, would impute and consider as an object with his or her common sense. See also: conventional commonsense object.	‘jig-rten-la grags-pa
commotion, ordinary	See: ordinary commotion.
compassion	The wish for someone to be free from suffering and from the causes for suffering.	snying-rje	karuna
compassion, great	See: great compassion.
compassionate sympathy	See: compassion.
complete stage	(1) The second stage of anuttarayoga tantra practice, in which everything is now complete for engaging in the practices that act as the immediate causes for reaching enlightenment. These practices entail working with the chakras, channels, and winds of the subtle body. (2) In some non-Gelug texts, nonconceptual meditation on the voidness of the visualizations generated during the first stage of anuttarayoga tantra practice. This meditation on a nondenumerable ultimate phenomenon is done simultaneously with the visualizations, on the same stage of practice, and makes the practice of visualization complete. Many translators render this term as "completion stage."	rdzogs-rim
completing karma	A mental urge or impulse having a relatively weak accompanying motivation and therefore having the strength to ripen, as its result, into only the circumstances that will complete the conditions of a future rebirth.	rdzogs-byed-kyi las
completion stage	See: complete stage.
comprehensive result	See: overriding result.
concentration	See: mentally fixating.
concentration, absorbed	See: absorbed concentration.
concept	A general term for a universal, a category, or a mental label. A concept of something need not be verbal. For example, one has a concept of what a pretty face looks like, what one‘s mother looks like, what a good soup tastes like, what a properly tuned guitar sounds like, what a valid line of reasoning is, what one plus one equals, and so on.