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Glossary Tibetan 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.

 

Tibetan	English	Sanskrit (Pali)	Definition
‘bras-bu	level, resultant		The level of a fully enlightened Buddha, attained as the result of Mahayana practice.
‘bras-bu’i skyabs-‘gro	resultant taking of safe direction		A taking of safe direction (refuge) that takes as its sources of safe direction the Triple Gem that one will attain oneself in the future, based on actualizing one‘s own Buddha-nature. Synonymous with "special taking of safe direction."
‘char-ba, shar-ba	cognitive arising		A cognitive appearance that has arisen on a mental continuum. See: dawn.
‘chi-srid	death existence		The period of time in the mental continuum of an individual limited being during which they experience death. Unless one successfully does advanced anuttarayoga tantra meditations at this time, this period lasts only one moment.
‘dod-chags, chags-pa	attachment	raga	The disturbing emotion that exaggerates the good qualities of an object that one possesses and does not wish to let go of it.
‘dod-khams	plane of sensory desires	kamadhatu	Samsaric rebirth states in which the limited beings have desire for sensory objects.
‘du-byed	affecting impulses	samskara	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	affecting variable	samskara	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-kyi phung-po	aggregate of other affecting variables	samskara-skandha	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."
‘dun-pa	intention		The subsidiary awareness (mental factor) to obtain any object, to achieve any goal, or to do something with the object or goal once obtained or achieved.
‘dus ma-byas	unaffected phenomenon	asamskrtadharma	A phenomenon that is not affected by causes or conditions. A synonym for static phenomenon. Often rendered by other translators as "unconditioned phenomenon."
‘dus-byas-kyi chos	affected phenomenon	samskrtadharma	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."
‘du-shes	distinguish / distinguishing	samjna	One of the five ever-functioning subsidiary awarenesses (mental factors) that takes an uncommon characteristic feature of the appearing object of a nonconceptual cognition or an outstanding feature of the appearing object of a conceptual cognition, and ascribes a conventional significance to it, different from that of everything else that appears in the background within that cognition. It does not necessarily ascribe a name or mental label to its object, nor does it compare it with previously cognized objects. Some translators render the term as "recognition."
‘du-shes-kyi phung-po	aggregate of distinguishing	samjna-skandha	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.
‘dzin-pa	cognitively taking an object	graha	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.
‘gog-bden	true stopping		The elimination, forever, of some degree of either an emotional or a cognitive obscuration from a mental continuum. They occur only on the mental continuum of aryas -- those with nonconceptual cognition of voidness. Often translated as true cessation.
‘gro-ba	wandering being	gamin	A being that "wanders" from one uncontrollably recurring rebirth to the next; a being caught in samsara.
‘gro-ba rigs-drug	six realms of existence		Literally, the six families of wandering beings. The six types of samsaric rebirth: (1) hell-beings (trapped beings in the joyless realms), (2) clutching ghosts (hungry ghosts), (3) animals (creeping creatures), (4) humans, (5) would-be divine beings (anti-gods), and (6) divine beings (gods).
‘gyod-pa	regret		The subsidiary awareness (mental factor) of not wishing to repeat doing something, either proper or improper, that one did or that someone else made one do.
‘gyur-ba‘i sdug-bsngal	suffering of change		The suffering of ordinary happiness, which never lasts, never satisfies, and which eventually turns into the suffering of suffering.
‘jig-rten-la grags-pa	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-pa‘í chos-brgyad, ‘jig-rten chos-brgyad	eight transitory things in life		Praise or criticism, good or bad news, gains or losses, things going well or poorly -- or, more specifically, the emotional ups and downs of overexcitement and depression in response to these eight. Also called the "eight worldly dharmas."
‘jog-sgom	stabilizing meditation		A method for habituating oneself to an insight, understanding, or state of mind in which one focuses on an object with that desired insight, understanding, or state of mind and with full conviction in its validity, but without the mental factors of gross detection (investigation) or subtle discernment (scrutiny). Also translated sometimes as "fixating meditation."
‘jug-sems, ‘jug-pa’i sems-bskyed	engaged bodhichitta		A mind of bodhichitta which, when focused on one‘s own individual future enlightenment, is committed to attaining that enlightenment by having taken bodhisattva vows and which then enters into the type of behavior that will bring one to enlightenment.
‘khor-ba	samsara	samsara	Uncontrollably recurring rebirth under the power of disturbing emotions and attitudes and of karma. Some translators render it as "cyclic existence."
‘khor-lo gsum	three circles		Three aspects of an action that are all equally void of true existence: (1) the individual performing the action, (2) the object upon or toward which the action is committed, and (3) the action itself. Occasionally, as in the case of the action of giving, the object may refer to the object given. The existence of each of these is established dependently on the others. Sometimes translated as "the three spheres" of an action.
‘khrul-ba	deceptive		Being mistaken or confusing with respect to the appearance of something.
‘khrul-shes	deceptive cognition		A cognition that takes a phenomenon‘s mode of existence that it makes appear -- namely, an appearance of its seemingly true existence -- to be the phenomenon‘s actual mode of existence. The deceptive cognition may be either accurate or distorted with respect to the appearance it makes of the superficial truth of what the phenomenon conventionally is.
‘khrul-snang	deceptive appearance		A cognitive object that appears to exist in a manner different from the way in which it actually exists.
‘od-gsal	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."
‘phags-lam	arya pathway mind	aryamarga	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-pa	arya	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."
‘phrin-las	enlightening influence	samudacara	The unceasing, unending, effortless activity of a Buddha, which helps bring all limited beings to higher rebirth, liberation, and enlightenment. Such activity does not require a Buddha actually doing anything: a Buddha‘s attainment itself exerts a positive influence on others to pacify disturbance, stimulate the growth of good qualities, being disorder under control, or forcefully end any harm.
‘phrin-las	influencing nature		One of the threefold natures of pure awareness (rigpa), refering to the enlightening influence it has on others.
a-nu yo-ga	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-ti-yo-ga	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.
bag-chags	karmic constant habit	vasana	A type of karmic aftermath, imputable on one‘s mental continuum as an unspecified (ethically neutral) noncongruent affecting variable after having committed a karmic action, and which ripens into a result every moment until a true stopping of it has been achieved. Some translators render it as "habit" or "instinct."
bag-chags	karmic habit	vasana	A synonym for "karmic latency."
bag-chags	karmic latency	vasana	A general term for all karmic aftermath -- namely, karmic potentials, karmic tendencies, and karmic constant habits.
bag-chags-kyi kun-gzhi	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-la nyal	dormant factor		Literally, something that is “asleep to the taste of the mind.” Affecting variables, associated with mental continuums, which are “lying down” and not rushing to manifest mind (consciousness). They include awareness, tendencies, and habits.
bag-la nyal-gyi shes-pa	subliminal cognition		A cognition in which the consciousness gives rise to a mental hologram of a cognitive object and, in which, the cognitive object appears, through that hologram, only to the consciousness of the subliminal cognition and only that consciousness cognizes it. The cognitive object of the subliminal cognition does to appear to the person and is not cognized by the person. Nor does it appear to or is it cognized by the consciousness of the manifest cognition that is simultaneously occurring and overpowering the subliminal cognition.
bag-yod	caring attitude	apramada	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.
bar-do	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’i srid-pa	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.
bcad-pa	preclude		To cut off, dismiss, or reject something.
bcad-shes	subsequent cognition		One of the seven ways of knowing something: a nonfraudulent, but not fresh, cognition of an object. It is the second phase of a valid bare cognition or inferential cognition, and is asserted only by the Gelug Sautrantika, Chittamatra, and Svatantrika tenet systems.
bcas-pa‘i kha-na ma-tho-ba	prohibited unspeakable action		Ethically neutral (unspecified) actions that Buddha prohibited for certain types of practitioners, for instance monks or nuns, as detrimental to their spiritual practice.
bcom-ldan-‘ das	Vanquishing Master Surpassing All	bhagavan	An epithet of a Buddha - one who has conquered (vanquished) all obstacles, attained (mastered) all good qualities, and gone beyond (surpassed) any of the Hindu gods for whom the epithet Bhagavan has also been applied. Some translators render the term as "Blessed One."
bcos-ma, bcos-bcas	contrived		A state of mind mentally constructed through conceptual thought, such as by going through a line of reasoning. Also translated as artificial.
bcos-med, bcos-ma ma-yin-pa	uncontrived		A state of mind not mentally constructed by conceptual thought. Also translated as "unartificial."
bdag-‘ jug	self-initiation		A tantric meditation practice in which one visualizes receiving the entire empowerment (initiation) ritual for a Buddha-figure, performed in order to renew one‘s tantric vows. It may only be performed if one has done the serviceability retreat of that particular Buddha-figure and the fire-puja afterwards.
bdag-bskyed	self-generation		Synonymous with "sadhana." A meditation method in which one visualizes and imagines oneself to be a Buddha-figure for which one has received empowerment. See: sadhana.
bdag-med	lack of true identitiy		Also called: identitylessness, selflessness
bde-ba	blissful awareness	sukha	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	happiness	sukha	That feeling which, when it stops, we wish to meet with it again.
bde-ba chen-po‘i sku	Body of Great Bliss		See: Corpus of Great Bliss.
bde-ba chen-po‘i sku	Corpus of Great Bliss	mahasukhakaya	In the dzogchen system, the blissful awareness aspect of a Buddha‘s omniscient mind.
bde-bar gshegs-pa	Blissfully Gone One	sugata	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.
bden-‘ dzin	grasping for true existence	satyagraha	(1) Both to cognize (literally, take as a cognitive object) the appearance of the world as being truly existent, which the habits of this grasping cause the mind to fabricate and project, as well as believing this deceptive appearance to correspond to how things actually exist, (2) simply cognizing the appearance of the world as being truly existent, without actually believing this deceptive appearance to correspond to how things actually exist.
bden-pa	being true to one‘s word	satya (Pali: sacca)	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 gnyis	two truths		(1) In Hinayana, two types of validly knowable phenomena into which all existent phenomena can be divided: superficially true and deepest true phenomena. (2) In Mahayana, two true facts that can be validly known about any existent phenomenon.
bden-par grub-pa	true existence		(1) An impossible mode of existence mistakenly considered to be true. Existence established or proven (a) merely by the power of something on the side of an object and not in conjunction with being something imputable on a basis, according to Gelug Svatantrika-Madhyamaka, or (b) by the power of something on the side of an object, either by itself or in conjunction with being something imputable on a basis, according to Gelug Prasangika-Madhyamaka. (2) A mode of existence that is true. Existence established or proven by (a) arising from causes and conditions, according to Jetsunpa & Kunkhyen Gelug Sautrantika, or (b) the power of something on the side of an object, according to Panchen Gelug Sautrantika and Gelug Chittamatra.
bden-par grub-pa	true findable existence		Existence established or proven by the power of something findable on the side of an object, either by itself or in conjunction with being something imputable on a basis. According to Gelug Prasangika-Madhyamaka, an impossible mode of existence mistakenly considered to be true. Also called "truly and findably established existence."
bden-par grub-pa	true unimputed existence		Existence established or proven merely by the power of something on the side of an object and not in conjunction with being something imputable on a basis. According to Madhyamaka, an impossible mode of existence mistakenly considered to be true. Also called "truly and unimputedly established existence."
bden-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.
bdud	demonic force	mara	Something that harms limited beings or causes interference and obstacles to constructive actions.
bla-med rnal-‘ byor	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.
blo	attitude		A mental factor that takes its cognitive object by regarding it from a certain point of view.
blo-gros	intelligence		The ability to discriminate between what is correct and what is incorrect, and between what is helpful and what is harmful.
blo-sbyong	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	lojong		See: attitude-training.
brdar-btags-pa’i chos dkon-mchog	nominal Dharma Gem		Printed Dharma texts, representing the Dharma as an actual source of safe direction and serving as a basis for showing respect to the actual Dharma Gem.
brdar-btags-pa’i dge-‘dun dkon-mchog	nominal Sangha Gem		Four or more people from any of the four groups of the monastic sangha (full or novice monks or nuns), representing the Sangha as an actual source of safe direction and serving as a basis for showing respect to the actual Sangha Gem.
brdar-btags-pa’i dkon-mchog	nominal gem		Representations of the Three Rare and Supreme Gems, which themselves are not actual sources of safe direction, but which serve as a basis for showing respect to the them.
brdar-btags-pa’i sangs-rgyas dkon-mchog	nominal Buddha Gem		A painting or statue of a Buddha, representing Buddha as an actual source of safe direction and serving as a basis for showing respect to an actual Buddha Gem.
brten-pa’i dkyil-‘ khor	supported mandala		The set of Buddha-figures residing inside the immeasurably magnificent palace of a symbolic world system visualized in tantra practice.
brtse-ba	loving-kindness		The subsidiary awareness (mental factor) with which one not only wishes others to be happy and to have the causes for happiness, but with one also acts towards others in a helpful manner.
brtson-‘ grus	joyful perseverance	virya, (Pali: viriya)	The mental factor of zestful vigor for being or doing something constructive. It implies taking joy in such things and enduring with them, despite any difficulties.
brtul-zhugs	tamed behaviour		Ethical behavior with which one both restrains oneself from destructive actions and engages in constructive ones.
bsam-gtan	mental stability	dhyana	Single-pointed placement of the mind on any constructive focal object, without any mental wandering -- a stable state of mind that is not only free of flightiness and dullness, but is also not distracted by any disturbing emotion. One of the six far-reaching attitudes (six perfections). Some translators render the term as "concentration."
bsdud-pa-las gyur-pa‘i gzugs	forms of physical phenomena that make up other things by amassing together		Forms of physical phenomena that can only be known by mental cognition and which are the invisible objects, such as atoms and subatomic particles, that make up visible objects.
bsdus-grva	set theory	dura	Set theory has to do with the logical pervasions between two or more sets -- mutually exclusive, totally congruent, overlapping, etc. A set is a collection or a group of many items, like the set of all nonstatic phenomena.
bshes-gnyen bsten-pa	relating to a spiritual mentor in a healthy manner		Entrusting oneself, through mind and actions, to a fully qualified spiritual mentor. Also called: relying on a spiritual mentor, entrusting onself to a spiritual mentor, whole-hearted commitment to a spiritual mentor. Often translated as: guru-devotion.
bskyed-rim	generation stage		The first stage of anuttarayoga practice, during which one uses the powers of imagination to generate oneself in the form of a Buddha-figure and perfroms a sadhana.
bsngo-ba	dedication prayer		A prayer for the attainment of a spiritual goal or of the circumstances conducive for reaching that goal, in which the person making the prayer directs the positive force (merit) from a constructive action that he or she has done toward ripening into that attainment.
bsnyen-chen	great approximation retreat		A three-year, three-month retreat focusing exclusively on one Buddha-figure (deity) system, in which one recites tens of millions of mantras and makes millions of offerings in fire pujas.
bsnyen-sgrub	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.
bsod-nams	positive karmic force	punya	The type of karmic force associated with a constructive action and which ripens intermittently into transitory happiness. Some translators render it as "merit." See: karmjic force.
bsod-nams-kyi tshogs	network of positive force	punyasambhara	A constructive noncongruent affecting variable imputable on the positive force on the mental continuum of a limited being, when dedicated with bodhichitta, and which functions as the obtaining cause for the Form Corpus of a Buddha. Also called: "bountiful store of positive force." Some translators render the term as "collection of merit."
btags	impute / imputation		To mentally label (project, superimpose), with conceptual cognition, a term universal (such as the word or name "table") or a meaning universal (such as a "table" as an individual object) onto a basis (such as four legs and a flat board on top of them).
btags	mental labeling		To impute (project, superimpose), with conceptual cognition, an audio category (such as the word or name "table") or a meaning/object category (such as a "table" as an individual object) onto a basis (such as four legs and a flat board on top of them).
btang-snyoms	equanimity	upeksha (Pali: upekkha)	The mental factor (subsidiary awareness) of having an equal attitude toward everyone.
btang-snyoms	neutral feeling	upeksha	That feeling which, when it arises, one neither wants to be parted from it, nor, when it stops, one wishes to meet it again.
btang-snyoms tsam-pa-ba	mere equanimity		An equal attitude toward everyone that is devoid of attachment to loved ones, repulsion from enemies, and indifference toward strangers.
bya-grub ye-shes	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	awareness, accomplishing		See: accomplishing deep awareness.
byams-pa	love	maitri	The wish for someone to be happy and to have the causes for happiness.
byams-pa chen-po	great love	mahamaitri	The wish for everyone to be happy and to have the causes for happiness.
byang-chub	purified state	bodhi	The state of a shravaka arhat, pratyekabuddha arhat, or a Buddha, in which the mental continuum of the person attaining this state has been purified of either the emotional obscurations or both the emotional and the cognitive obscurations.
byang-chub sems, byang-sems	bodhichitta	bodhicitta	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	bodhichitta aim	bodhicitta	The type of aim, goal, or focus that a bodhichitta mind has. Used as a synonym for bodhichitta.
byang-chub sems, byang-sems	bodhichitta motivation	bodhicitta	The kind of motivation that bodhichitta is. Used as a synonym for bodhichitta.
byang-chub sems-dpa‘	bodhisattva		Someone who has developed unlabored bodhichitta.
byang-sems ‘ phags-pa	arya bodhisattva	arya bodhisattva	A bodhisattva that has attained nonconceptual cognition of voidness. See also: bodhisattva.
byang-sems sdom-pa	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.
byed-pa-po	agent		The person who commits an action.
bying-ba	mental dullness		A mental factor (subsidiary awareness) faulting the appearance-making of mindfulness’s mental hold on an object of focus. Some translators render the term as "sinking."sinking
byin-rlabs	elevation	adhisthana	Transformation of a disciple‘s body, speech, and mind into pure aspects, done during a tantric ritual, for example during a subsequent permission (jenang). Some translators render the term as "blessing."
chags-pa	sticky attachment	sneha	The disturbing emotion that exaggerates the good qualities of an object that one possesses, that clings to it like glue, and does not wish to let go.
chos	dharma		(1) Preventive measures which, if one puts into practice or achieves, prevent the experience of future suffering. (2) Buddha‘s teachings. (3) Any phenomenon or "thing."
chos	phenomenon	dharma	A validly knowable object that holds its own individual self-nature.
chos-can	property-possessor		A member of the set of phenomena possessing a certain property, such as voidness as its actual nature.
chos-dbyings ye-shes	deep awareness of reality	dharmadhatu-jnana	One of the five types of deep awareness that all beings have as an aspect of Buddha-nature. The deep awareness of the superficial truth of something -- namely, awareness of what it is. When developed on the spiritual path, this deep awareness may also be of the deepest truth of something -- namely, its voidness. Also called: deep awareness of the sphere of reality.
chos-kyi skye-mched-pa‘i gzugs	forms of physical phenomena included only among the cognitive stimulators that are all phenomena		Forms of physical phenomena are not knowable by sensory cognition, but are only knowable by mental cognition. These include those that make up other things by amassing together, (2) those existing in actual situations, (3) those arising from clearly taking them on, (4) totally imaginary forms, and (5) those arising from gaining control over the elements.
chos-kyi spyan	extrasensory eye of the Dharma		One of the five extrasensory eyes gained as a byproduct of the attainment of an actual state of the first level of mental stability (the first dhyana). (1) According to the Gelug explanation, cognition that is able to understand the mental capacities of others, in order to be able to teach them appropriately. (2) According to the Karmaq Kagyu explanation, a Buddha‘s omniscient awareness that possesses the ten forces that enable a Buddha to lead all beings to enlightenment.
chos-nyid	actual nature	dharmata	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-sku	Corpus Encompassing Everything	dharmakaya	The omniscient mind of a Buddha
dad-pa	believing a fact to be true	shraddha	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."
dag-pa‘i snang-ba, dag-snang	pure appearance		An appearance of something as an enlightened mind makes it appear, namely in the form of a Buddha-figure or mandala and devoid of any of the four extremes of impossible existence.
dal-ba	respite		A temporary rest or a break from a state of no leisure for Dharma practice, such as the worst states of rebirth. Some translators render the term as a "freedom" or a "liberty."
dam-pa	hallowed		Pure and worthy of the highest respect; sacred.
dam-rdzas	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-tshig	bonding practice	samaya	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	close bond	samaya	See: bonding practice.
dang-ba‘i dad-pa	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.
dbang	empowerment	abhishekha	A tantric ritual that activates and empowers Buddha-nature factors to grow so that, through repeated, sustained tantric practice, they will eventually transform into the Three Corpuses (Bodies) of a Buddha. An empowerment also plants new seeds, or potentials, that will likewise grow in the same manner. The term is often translated as "initiation."
dbang-‘ byor-pa‘i gzugs	forms of physical phenomena arising from gaining control over the elements		Forms of physical phenomena that can only be known by mental cognition and which are actually emanated by the power of absorbed concentration.
dbang-po	cognitive sensor	indriya	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."
dbyer-med	inseparable		Two facts about the same attribute of an object are inseparable if, when one is the case, so is the other. The two facts may inseparably both be the case either naturally or made to be so through the power of meditation.
dbyings	cognitive sphere	dhatu	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.
de-bzhin gshegs-pa	Thusly Gone One	tathagata	A epithet of a Buddha -- one who has gone to the goal of enlightenment through nonconceptual cognition of voidness, the very natire of reality (thusness).
de-bzhin-nyid	accordant nature	tathata	A synonym for voidness (emptiness). Some translators render the term as "thusness."
de-kho-na-nyid	very nature of reality	tattvam	A synonym for voidness (emptiness). Some translators render the term as "thusness."
de-kho-na-nyid mchod-pa	offering of the very nature of reality		Offering of one‘s nonconceptual cognition of voidness with a blissful awareness or of one‘s nonconceptual blissful cognition of voidness together with one‘s appearance as an illusory body.
dgag-pa	negation phenomenon		An item, or a truth about an item, defined in terms of the exclusion of something else, in which an object to be negated is explicitly precluded by the conceptual cognition that cognizes the phenomenon. Also translated as: "negation," "nullification," "refutation."
dge-‘dun	Sangha	sangha	The literal meaning of the Sanskrit term is a "community"; the literal meaning of the Tibetan translation is "those intent on a constructive goal." Four or more people from any of the four groups of the monastic community: full or novice monks or nuns - the four need not necessarily be all from one group or one from each group - and who have unlabored renunciation and are intent on ridding themselves of disturbing emotions and attitudes and thus attaining liberation.
dge-ba	constructive	kushala	States of mind, or physical, verbal, or mental actions motivated by them, which ripen into happiness to be experienced by the person on whose mental continuum they occur. Since the term carries no connotation of moral judgment, the translation "virtuous" is misleading for this term.
dge-ba‘i bshes-gnyen	spiritual mentor	kalyanamitra	A Buddhist teacher who has had stable realizations, who embodies the teachings in the sense of having integrated them into his or her life, and who confers vows on disciples.
dgra-bcom-pa	arhat	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."
dkon-mchog gsum	Three Rare and Supreme Gems	triratna	The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Also called "The Three Gems," "The Triple Gem," "The Three Jewels," and "The Three Jewels of Refuge."
dkon-mchog-gsum-la skyabs-su-‘gro	take safe direction from the Three Gems		To turn toward the direction indicated by the Three Rare and Supreme Gems (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) and to put that safe direction in one‘s life. Some translators render this as "go for refuge to the Three Gems."
dkyil- ‘ khor	mandala		In general, a round symbol used to represent a meaning. Most often used to represent a world system.
dmigs-rkyen	focal condition	alambanapratyaya	An external phenomenon that presents an aspect of itself to be an object of cognition, and thus serves as a condition giving rise to a sensory cognition of it.
dmigs-yul	focal object		An external object on which a cognition focuses and which serves as the focal condition of the cognition. Focal objects exist prior to the cognitions of them and have their own continuums different from those of the cognitions of them.
dngos-grub	actual attainment	siddhi	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-med	nonfunctional phenomenon		(1) An validly knowable, existent object that does not perform a function -- in other words, it does not produce a result -- namely, a static phenomenon. (2) A nonexistent object, such as an impossible way of existing.
dngos-po	functional phenomenon		(1) A validly knowable, existent object that performs a function -- in other words, it produces a result -- namely, a nonstatic phenomenon. (2) In the Vaibhashika system, all validly knowable, existent phenomenon, all of which at least perform the function of acting as an object for the valid cognition of them.
dngos-rgyu	direct cause		The phenomenon that actually produces its result, without need for any intermediary -- for example, a visible object is the direct cause for the seeing of it.
dngos-su rtogs-pa	explicit apprehension		Apprehension of a cognitive object in which a cognitive appearance (mental hologram) of the involved object of the cognition arises. Compare: implicit apprehension.
dngos-su shes-pa	direct cognition		According to the non-Gelug presentation, the type of cognition that a present moment of sensory consciousness has of the present moment of a mental aspect (mental hologram) of the immediately preceding moment of an external sense object. Compare: indirect cognition.
don-dam bden-pa	deepest truth	paramartha	In the Hinayana tenet systems, a true phenomenon that is veiled or concealed by a conventional (superficial, relative, apparent) true phenomenon. In the Mahayana tenet systems, a true fact about a phenomenon that is veiled or concealed by a more superficial true fact about the same phenomenon. Some translatrors render this term as "ultimate truth."
don-dam-pa‘i byang-chub-kyi sems	deepest bodhichitta		The deep awareness that has nonconceptual cognition of voidness.
don-dam-pa‘i chos dkon-mchog	deepest Dharma Gem		The true stoppings and true pathway minds on the mental continuum of an arya, whether a layperson or a monastic, as a source of safe direction.
don-dam-pa‘i dge-‘ dun dkon-mchog	deepest Sangha Gem		The true stoppings and true pathway minds on the mental continuum of an arya, whether a layperson or monastic, as a source of safe direction.
don-dam-pa‘i dkon-mchog	deepest level Precious Gems		The level of Three Rare and Supreme Gems that are concealed by the apparanet level gems.
don-dam-pa‘i sangs-rgyas dkon-mchog	deepest Buddha Gem		A Buddha‘s Dharmakaya as a source of safe direction.
don-gyi ‘ od-gsal	actual clear light mind		A subtlest level of consciousness that has a nonconceptual, blissful cognition of voidness.
don-spyi	meaning category		The conceptual category into which fit all significances (meanings) of an audio category.
don-spyi	meaning/object category		The conceptual category into which fit all items to which an audio category refers. These items are also what the audio category signifies (means).
don-spyi	object category		The conceptual category into which fit all items to which an audio category refer.
don-spyi	object mental synthesis		The conceptual category of a commonsense object, such as a table, used when thinking of, verbalizing, imagining (visualizing), or remembering a commonsense object.
don-spyi	object universal		A specific commonsense object as a conceptual category into which fit all moments of anyone‘s mental or sensory cognition of any amount of parts of any of its sensibilia.
dpe‘i ‘ od-gsal	model clear light mind		A subtle level of consciousness that has a blissful conceptual cognition of voidness, which is attained when the subtle energy-winds are partly dissolved in the central channel. Also translated as "approximating clear light mind."
dpyad-sgom	discerning meditation		A method for habituating oneself to an insight, understanding, or state of mind, with which one focuses on an object and generates the desired insight, understanding, or state of mind about it, through using the mental factors of gross detection (investigation) and subtle discernment (scrutiny). The method may also entail applying a line reasoning that one has already understood and become convinced of its validity. Many translators render the term as "analytical meditation."
dpyod-pa	subtle discernment		A subsidiary awareness (mental factor) that actively understands the fine details of the nature of something, having scrutinized them thoroughly. It does not imply verbal thinking, although it may be induced by verbally thinking. According to Asanga‘s Anthology of Special Topics of Knowledge, one of the four changeable subsidiary awarenesses. Also translated as "scrutiny" and "analysis."
drag-po	forceful		Using extremely strong actions or methods, such as yelling at someone or hitting someone, in order to make the person stop doing something harmful. Forceful methods are used only when all other methods to make the person stop have failed or are impossible in the situation. Some translators render the term as wrathful, but this has an inappropriate connotation, since "wrathful," in English, is used for the Old Testament God, who, when people disobey Him, gets angry and punishes them.
drang-don	explicit suggestive meaning	nityartha	One of the six alternative meanings. When an expression in a root tantra text has two dissimilar meanings, the literal, evident, or face value meaning of the expression. It suggests or leads one on to the second meaning (the implicit suggested meaning), which is dissimilar to what is actually said on face value.
drang-don	interpretable teaching	nityartha	A passage in a sutra text that discusses any topic other than the most profound view of voidness, and which leads one on or points the way to the most profound view of voidness. Such passages require explanation, so that one does not confuse them as indicating the most profound view.
dran-pa	mindfulness	smrti	(1) The mental factor, similar to a mental glue, that keeps a mental hold on a cognitive object, so that it is not lost. (2) The recollection of something, with which the mind keeps a mental hold on a mental hologram that resembles and represents something previously cognizied. The term is often rendered as "memory" or "remembering," but has nothing to do with the recording or storage of mental information.
drin	kindness		A beneficial action that is of help to others.
dvangs	lucidity		A quality of a well-concentrated mind with which the mind remains fresh in each moment.
ga‘u-ma	amulet box tradition		A tradition of mahamudra meditation transmitted in the Shangpa Kagyu school.
gang-zag	person	pudgala	An individual being, including those from any of the six realms of samsaric existence, as well as arhats and Buddhas. A noncongruent affecting variable, synonymous with a conventional "me."
gces-zhing pham-pa’i byams-pa	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.
gdams-ngag	guideline instructions		Beneficial instructions concerning spiritual practice.
gnas-lugs	abiding nature		The lasting, enduring nature of all phenomena; the voidness of all phenomena.
gnas-skabs-kyi skyabs-gnas	provisional source of safe direction		The aryas with incomplete sets of true stoppings and true pathway minds on their mental continuums.
gnyug-ma	primordial state		The state of having, with no beginning, been untainted by the fleeting stains of either the emotional or cognitive obscurations. Descriptive of the clear light mind.
gnyug-sems	primordial mind		Awareness that, with no beginning, has been untainted by the fleeting stains of either the emotional or cognitive obscurations. A synonym for "clear light mind."
gong-ma‘I spyi	vertical mental synthesis		A collection mental synthesis that extends over time, such as a human body over a lifetime.
grub-mtha‘	tenet system	siddhanta	A set of principles or assertions of a particular traditional Indian school of philosophy or of astronomical calculations.
gsal	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.
gsang-ba’i dkyil-‘ khor	secret mandala		The offering of a blissful awareness, or of a nonconceptual blissful awareness of voidness with a clear-light mind. Also called: hidden mandala.
gsang-mchod	hidden offering		An offering of one‘s blissful awareness, visualized in the form of an offering goddess.
gsang-sngags	hidden mantra	guhyamantra	Synonymous with "mantra."
gsos-‘debs, nus-pa mthu-can-du byed-pa	activate		To cause a karmic tendency to become a manifest karmic impulse that will give its result in the next moment.
gtan-la dbab-pa, nges-pa	ascertainment		A decisive cognition of a cognitive object; decisively knowing what an object of cognition is or how it exists.
gti-mug	naivety	moha	A subcategory of unawareness. The unawareness of behavioral cause and effect or of reality that accompanies only destructive states of mind or behavior. One of the three poisonous emotions.
gtso-sems	principal awareness		Within a cognition, an awareness that consists of the composite of a primary consciousness and its accompanying set of subsidiary awarenesses (mental factors). The principal awareness is the way of being aware of the object of the cognition that is prominent and which characterizes the type of cognition that it is occurring -- for example, relative bodhichitta and the deep awareness of total absorption on voidness.
gus-pa	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	respect		See: appreciation.
gzhal-yas khang	immeasurably magnificent palace		A palace visualized in tantra practice as part of the supporting mandala. Each architectural feature of the palace represents one or another realization gained along the tantra path, and inside the palace reside one or more Buddha-figures.
gzhan gces-par ‘ dzin-pa, gzhan-gces	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-dbang	dependent phenomenon	paratantra	A validly knowable object that arises dependently on causes and conditions. All nonstatic phenomena. Often translated literally as "other-powered phenomenon."
gzhan-sems shes-pa‘i 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-stong	other-voidness		The natural, beginningless absence from the clear light level of mental acitivity of "other" levels of mental activity, which are all limited by fleeting stains.
gzhi	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‘i rig-pa	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-snang-gi rig-pa	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.
gzugs-bsnyan	reflection		See: mental reflection.
gzugs-khams	plane of ethereal forms	rupadhatu	Samsaric rebirth states in which the limited beings have desire for subtle forms of physical phenomena.
gzugs-kyi phung-po	aggregate of forms of physical phenomena	rupa-skandha	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-med khams	plane of formless beings	arupadhatu	Samsaric rebirth states in which the limited beings lack any gross body.
gzugs-sku	Corpus of Forms	rupakaya	The network of grosser forms, which are emanations of a Buddha‘s corpus of full use, and in which a Buddha appears in order to teach ordinary beings. Also called: Corpus of Enlightening Forms, Form Body, Body of Forms.
ka-dag	primal purity		The essential nature of rigpa (pure awareness), which refers to its being pure of all stains, without a beginning.
kha-‘don	recitation practice		In tantra, the meditation practice with which one recites a ritual meditation text describing the self-visualization process and a complex series of further practices based on that self-generation, such as reciting mantras and making offerings.
khams-gsum	three planes of existence	tridhatu	A threefold division of samsaric rebirth states: the planes of (1) sensory desires, (2) ethereal forms, and (3) formless beings. Sometimes called "the three realms."
kha-na ma-tho-ba	unspeakable action	avadya	An action that ripens into the experience of suffering by the person who commits it or into a hindrance to his or her spiritual practice.. An action that cannot be spoken about with praise.
khong-khro	anger	kroddha	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.
khyab	pervasive		"x" is pervasive with "y" if, whenever "x" is the case, so is "y." Used in such formulations as "If "x" is the case, then it is pervasive that "y" is the case."
khyab-pa	pervasion		The intersection of two sets of phenomena.
khyab-par ‘ du-byed-kyi sdug-bsngal	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.
klong	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.
kun-‘gro	ever-functioning subsidiary awareness		According to Asanga‘s Abhidharmasamuccaya, a set of five subsidiary awarenesses that accompany every moment of cognition: feeling a level of happiness, distinguishing, an urge, contactiung awareness, and paying attention or taking to mind.
kun-btags	totally conceptional phenomena	parikalpita	(1) In the context of the Chittamatra tenet-system, all static phenomena other than the various types of voidness, true stoppings, and nirvana, plus all non-existent phenomena. (2) In the context of the Madhyamaka tenet-system, all non-existent phenomena, especially true existence.
kun-btags-pa‘ i gzugs	totally imaginary forms		Forms of physical phenomena that can only be known by mental cognition and which appear in certain mental states, such as the sensory objects appearing in dreams and the conceptually implied objects in visualizations and imaginings.
kun-da	jasmine flower drops	kunda	Drops of white bodhichitta; drops of subtle creative energy.
kun-dkris bzhi	four binding factors		Factors which, when they accompany someone‘s acting in breach of a vow, bind that person to the full karmic result, in the sense of guaranteeing that the full karmic result will follow.
kun-gzhi rnam-shes	all-encompassing foundation consciousness	alayavijnana	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 ye-shes	deep-awareness alaya		In the Karma Kagyu system, a synonym for "mind-itself": the pure aspect of mind that is an aspect of Buddha-nature.
kun-mkhyen	omniscient awareness		A Buddha‘s unceasing nonconceptual cognition simultaneously of all validly knowable phenomena and their voidnesses -- in other words, of the two truths about all knowable phenomena.
kun-rdzob bden-pa	superficial true phenomenon	samvrttisatya	In the Hinayana tenet systems, a true phenomenon that veils or conceals a deeper true phenomenon. Also called: relative true phenomenon, conventional true phenomenon, apparent true phenomenon.
kun-rdzob bden-pa	superficial truth	samvrttisatya	In the Mahayana tenet systems, a true fact about a phenomenon that veils or conceals a deeper true fact about the same phenomenon. Also called: relative truth, conventional truth, apparent truth.
kun-rdzob-gyi byang-chub-kyi sems	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.
kun-rdzob-pa‘ i chos 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 dge-‘dun 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 sangs-rgyas dkon-mchog	apparent Buddha Gem		The Corpus of Forms of a Buddha, as a source of safe direction.
kun-rdzob-pa’i 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-shes	basis for all	alaya	A synonym for rigpa (pure awareness), used primarily in treasure texts of the mind division.
kun-shes rnam-shes	specific awareness alaya		In the Karma Kagyu system, a synonym for alayavijnana. See: all-encompassing foundation for all.
kun-slong	motivation		A state of mind that entails two mental factors (subsidiary awarenesses). One is the mental factor of intention – the intention to reach a certain goal for a certain purpose. The second is the mental factor of the positive or negative emotion, such as love and compassion, or jealousy and greed, which accompanies the intention and moves one to attain that goal.
lam	pathway level		The level of someone engaged in the practices for attaining enlightenment. In some usages, the level of an Mahayana arya with a seeing or accustoming pathway mind.
lam	pathway mind	marga	A level or state of mind that acts or functions as a pathway toward liberation or enlightenment. Some translators render this term as "path," but it refers to mental states, not to a series of spiritual practices. Also called: pathway of mind.
lam-rim	lam-rim		Graded path; graded stages of the path; graded stage of motivation; graded stages of pathway minds. A course of training in the Mahayana sutra teachings through which one makes progress by developing graded stages of motivation, which act as pathway minds leading to enlightenment.
las	karma	karma	(1) In all Tibetan Buddhist systems except Vaibhashika and Gelug Prasangika, equivalent to a subcategory of the mental factor, an urge. It is the mental factor that brings the mind in the direction of a specific physical, verbal, or mental action. (2) In the Vaibhashika and Gelug Prasangika, with respect to mental karmic actions, it is the mental factor of the urge that brings the mind in the direction of that action. With respect to physical or verbal karmic actions, it is (a) the revealing form of the physical impulse of the physical action or the sound of the words of the verbal action, plus (b) the nonrevealing form of the subtle invisible "vibration" of the action, which continues during and after the action. Some translators render the term "karma" as "action." (3) A general term used loosely for behavioral cause and effect. Also called: karmic impulse.
las-‘ bras	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-kyi rlung	winds of karma		In the Kalachakra system, the subtle energy-winds that carry the impulses of karma -- either the karmic impulses which draw one into actions or the karmic impulses with which one carries out physical or verbal actions.