Key Buddhist Terms

The direct insight into the empty nature of all phenomena, the ultimate aspect of the awakening mind.

The traditional count of 100,000 repetitions for each ngondro practice, symbolizing thorough completion.

The temporary obscurations that conceal Buddha-nature but are not part of its essential purity.

The emotional veils of desire, anger, and delusion that trap beings in the cycle of samsara.

The ground consciousness or storehouse consciousness where karmic imprints are stored.

The Buddha of Boundless Light, presiding over the Western Buddhafield of Sukhavati (Dewachen).

The active engagement in the practices that lead to Buddhahood — like actually setting out on the journey.

The wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all beings — like deciding to embark on a journey.

Demigods or jealous gods who suffer from constant envy and conflict with the gods.

The great Indian master (982-1054) who revitalized Buddhism in Tibet and established the Kadampa tradition.

The mental poison of clinging to pleasurable experiences, objects, and beings as sources of lasting happiness.

The Bodhisattva of Compassion, one of the most revered figures in Tibetan Buddhism.

The mental poison of hostility, anger, and pushing away what is unpleasant or threatening.

The intermediate state between death and rebirth, or more broadly, any transitional state of existence.

Essential drops or spheres of vital essence within the subtle body; also used for spheres of light in visualization.

The transformative spiritual power transmitted from the lineage and the teacher to the devoted student.

The sacred site in India where Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, known as the 'Vajra Seat.'

Shantideva's masterwork on the bodhisattva path, 'The Way of the Bodhisattva,' one of the most influential Mahayana texts.

The mind of awakening; the aspiration to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

A being who has aroused bodhicitta and is dedicated to attaining Buddhahood for the sake of all beings.

The inherent potential for Buddhahood present in all sentient beings.

A realm or sphere of activity of a particular Buddha, where beings can progress swiftly toward enlightenment.

The state of complete and perfect enlightenment, the ultimate goal of the Mahayana and Vajrayana paths.

The offering of lighted butter lamps before sacred images, symbolizing the dispelling of ignorance by the light of wisdom.

The fundamental Buddhist principle that all experiences arise from their corresponding causes and conditions.

The main energy channel running through the center of the subtle body, through which consciousness travels during phowa.

The practice of 'cutting through' ego-clinging by offering one's body to all beings, attributed to Machik Labdron.

The practice of walking clockwise around a sacred object, temple, or mountain as an act of devotion and merit.

The fundamental luminous nature of mind that manifests at the moment of death and in deep meditation.

The subtle conceptual veils of dualistic perception that prevent omniscient Buddhahood.

The wish that all beings be free from suffering and its causes.

The practice of acknowledging and regretting one's negative actions as a means of purifying their karmic imprint.

The relative level of reality as it appears to ordinary perception, where cause and effect, self and other function.

The pure land of Padmasambhava, where he continues to teach and from where he guides practitioners.

A female embodiment of enlightened wisdom and activity; one of the Three Roots and a guardian of tantric teachings.

An advanced meditation practice performed in total darkness, used particularly in the Dzogchen tradition to develop inner visions.

The practice of directing the positive energy generated by virtuous actions toward the enlightenment of all beings.

The afflictive emotions and mental factors that obscure the mind and perpetuate the cycle of samsara.

A historically important kingdom in eastern Tibet renowned for its printing house and as a center of Buddhist scholarship.

The principle that all phenomena arise in dependence upon causes and conditions, with nothing existing independently.

Heartfelt trust and reverence toward the teacher and the teachings, considered the gateway to blessings.

The Buddha's teachings and the truth they express; also refers to phenomena in general.

An oath-bound guardian who protects the Buddhist teachings and practitioners from obstacles.

The truth body of a Buddha; the ultimate, formless dimension of enlightenment identified with emptiness itself.

The true nature of phenomena; the way things actually are, beyond conceptual fabrication.

One of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist masters of the 20th century (1910-1991), holder of the Nyingma lineage.

The fourth of the six paramitas; joyful effort and enthusiasm in practicing virtue.

The second of the six paramitas; ethical conduct encompassing the avoidance of harm, the cultivation of virtue, and benefit to others.

A wild and unconventional treasure-revealer (1800-1866) who was one of Patrul Rinpoche's most important teachers.

The chief Tibetan disciple of Atisha (1005-1064) who founded the Kadampa tradition and Reting Monastery.

One of the six great Nyingma monasteries in eastern Tibet, closely associated with the Dzogchen and Longchen Nyingtik traditions.

The fundamental grasping at a self or personal identity, identified as the root cause of all samsaric suffering.

The eight conditions free from obstacles to practicing Dharma: not being born in the hells, as a preta, an animal, a long-lived god, a barbarian, with wrong views, in a dark age, or deaf and mute.

Four pairs of attachment and aversion — gain/loss, pleasure/pain, praise/blame, fame/infamy — that keep beings trapped in samsara.

The Buddha's foundational teaching on the path to liberation: right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.

A ritual authorization that permits a practitioner to engage in specific Vajrayana practices.

The absence of inherent, independent existence in all phenomena; the ultimate nature of reality.

A balanced state of mind that remains stable regardless of circumstances, free from bias toward friends or against enemies.

The profound practice of mentally exchanging one's happiness for others' suffering, the basis of tonglen meditation.

Trust and confidence in the teacher, the teachings, and the path; the foundation that opens the door to all Dharma practice.

The five psychophysical components that constitute the apparent self: form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness.

The five aspects of enlightened wisdom, each associated with a particular Buddha, color, direction, and transformed poison.

The five defining characteristics of the sambhogakaya realm: certain teacher, teaching, retinue, place, and time.

The five aspects of enlightened awareness that arise from the transformation of the five poisons.

Love, compassion, sympathetic joy, and impartiality — the four attitudes cultivated toward all beings without limit.

The vase, secret, wisdom, and word empowerments that purify the four obscurations and plant the seeds of the four kayas.

The four types of results that ripen from every karmic action: the fully ripened, the experiential, the habitual, and the proliferating.

The Buddha's foundational teaching: the truth of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to cessation.

The four elements necessary for purifying negative karma: the power of support, regret, resolution, and the antidote.

The four contemplations that motivate renunciation: precious human birth, impermanence, karma, and the defects of samsara.

The great Tibetan master (1079-1153), chief disciple of Milarepa, who founded the Dagpo Kagyu lineage.

The first human master of the Dzogchen (Great Perfection) teachings, who received them directly from Vajrasattva.

The school of Tibetan Buddhism founded by Tsongkhapa, emphasizing monastic discipline, philosophical study, and graduated path practice.

The Vajrayana meditation practice of visualizing oneself as a deity, the environment as a pure land, and all experience as sacred.

The first of the six paramitas; the practice of giving material goods, protection, and Dharma teachings to others.

A Kadampa master and former bandit famous for his rigorous self-examination and humorous vigilance against his own mental afflictions.

The highest of the six realms, where beings enjoy immense pleasure and long lives but are distracted from practicing Dharma.

The highest and most direct teaching of the Nyingma tradition, pointing to the natural state of awareness as the path itself.

The fundamental luminous awareness that dawns at the moment of death, offering the first and most direct opportunity for liberation.

Another name for Padmasambhava, the 'Precious Master' who established Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet in the 8th century.

The practice of merging one's mind with the teacher's wisdom mind, considered the most profound of all preliminary practices.

A 14th-century Tibetan master (1295-1369) renowned for his Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas.

The lowest of the six realms, where beings endure extreme suffering as a result of anger and violence.

The 'Lesser Vehicle'; the path focused on individual liberation from samsara through personal realization of non-self.

The long mantra of Vajrasattva, recited for the purification of negative karma and obscurations.

The fundamental misapprehension of reality; not knowing the true nature of mind and phenomena.

An even-minded attitude free from attachment to friends, aversion to enemies, and indifference to strangers.

The fundamental truth that all conditioned phenomena are transient and subject to change, decay, and dissolution.

A towering 19th-century master (1820-1892) who was a leader of the Rime (non-sectarian) movement and a contemporary of Patrul Rinpoche.

The mental affliction of envy and inability to bear the good fortune, qualities, or success of others.

The direct teacher of Patrul Rinpoche (1765-1843), a heart disciple of Jigme Lingpa who spent years meditating in the wilderness.

The great Nyingma master (1729-1798) who discovered the Longchen Nyingtik cycle of teachings through visions of Longchenpa.

The tradition founded by Atisha and Dromtonpa in the 11th century, emphasizing practical application of all teachings to taming the mind.

One of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, emphasizing meditation practice and the master-disciple lineage.

An immensely long cosmic time period; an aeon encompassing the formation, duration, destruction, and void of a universe.

The Tibetan Buddhist canon of translated words of the Buddha, comprising approximately 108 volumes of sutras and tantras.

The law of cause and effect governing intentional actions and their results across lifetimes.

The eastern province of Tibet, homeland of Patrul Rinpoche and a center of the 19th-century Rime movement.

A great Nyingma master (1879-1941) who wrote the most important commentary on Words of My Perfect Teacher.

The sacred capital city of Tibet, meaning 'Place of the Gods,' home to the Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace.

Freedom from the cycle of samsara and its suffering; the attainment of nirvana or Buddhahood.

The unbroken chain of transmission of teachings from master to student, preserving their blessing and power.

The Heart-essence of the Vast Expanse, a terma cycle discovered by Jigme Lingpa containing the complete Dzogchen path.

The great 14th-century Nyingma master (1308-1364) who systematized Dzogchen teachings in his Seven Treasuries and other works.

The heartfelt wish that all beings may enjoy happiness and its causes.

The luminous clarity aspect of mind's nature; the radiant knowing quality inseparable from emptiness.

The great Tibetan yogini (1055-1149) who founded the Chod lineage of cutting through ego-clinging.

The Great Vehicle; the Buddhist path motivated by bodhicitta, seeking Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.

A string of beads (usually 108) used to count mantra recitations and prayers during practice.

A symbolic representation of the universe or sacred environment, used in offering practice and visualization.

The practice of symbolically offering the entire universe to accumulate merit and wisdom.

The Bodhisattva of Wisdom, who holds a flaming sword of discriminating awareness and the Prajnaparamita text.

Sacred syllables embodying the essence of enlightened speech, used in meditation and ritual practice.

The practice of repeatedly chanting sacred syllables as part of meditation, accumulation, and purification.

The great Tibetan translator (1012-1097), disciple of Naropa, and teacher of Milarepa who founded the Kagyu lineage.

A period of intensive solitary practice in seclusion, devoted to deepening realization through focused meditation.

The disturbing emotions that agitate the mind and perpetuate the cycle of suffering, including the three poisons and their derivatives.

Positive spiritual energy accumulated through virtuous actions, which creates favorable conditions for realization.

The philosophical view that avoids the extremes of eternalism and nihilism, established by Nagarjuna.

Tibet's most beloved yogi (1052-1135), who attained Buddhahood in one lifetime through devotion to Marpa and solitary meditation.

The mental factor of continuous attentiveness that maintains awareness of one's thoughts, words, and actions.

The mythical cosmic mountain at the center of the Buddhist universe, central to the mandala offering visualization.

The great Indian philosopher (c. 150-250 CE) who founded the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school and systematized the teaching on emptiness.

The great Buddhist monastic university in ancient India (5th-12th century) that was the foremost center of Buddhist learning.

The great Indian mahasiddha (1016-1100), disciple of Tilopa and teacher of Marpa, renowned for enduring twelve great hardships.

The preliminary practices that prepare a practitioner for the main Vajrayana practices, including refuge, bodhicitta, Vajrasattva, mandala, and guru yoga.

The Nyingma classification of the entire Buddhist path into nine progressive levels, from Shravaka to Dzogchen.

The emanation body of a Buddha; the physical form that appears in the world to benefit beings.

The state beyond suffering; the cessation of the cycle of birth and death and all afflictive emotions.

The oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, founded on the early translations of Padmasambhava and his contemporaries.

The veils associated with the three doors of body, speech, and mind that prevent the realization of the three kayas.

The ancient kingdom in northwestern India (modern Swat Valley) where Padmasambhava was born and tantric Buddhism flourished.

The practice of making material and imagined offerings to accumulate merit and cultivate generosity.

The 'Lotus-Born' master who established Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet in the 8th century, revered as the Second Buddha.

The third of the six paramitas; the capacity to endure hardship, harm, and the profundity of the teachings without anger.

The author of Words of My Perfect Teacher (1808-1887), a beloved Nyingma master renowned for his simplicity, compassion, and realization.

The advanced Vajrayana meditation practice of dissolving visualizations and resting in the nature of mind.

The practice of transference of consciousness at the moment of death, directing the mind to a Buddhafield.

The 'Perfection of Wisdom' sutras, the Buddha's second-turning teachings on emptiness, the heart of Mahayana philosophy.

The vital wind or energy that circulates through the channels of the subtle body, carrying consciousness.

The vows of individual liberation, the foundational ethical discipline of the Buddhist monastic and lay traditions.

A cylindrical device containing rolled mantras that are activated by spinning, generating merit with each revolution.

A human life endowed with the eight freedoms and ten advantages necessary for practicing Dharma — extraordinarily rare and precious.

An honorific title for one's root spiritual teacher, literally meaning 'precious unsurpassed one.'

Hungry ghosts; beings tormented by insatiable hunger and thirst as a result of miserliness and greed.

The mental affliction of inflated self-importance that prevents learning and blocks spiritual development.

The practice of full-body bowing as an expression of devotion and a method to purify pride.

A realm manifested by a Buddha's merit and wisdom where conditions are ideal for attaining enlightenment.

The process of cleansing negative karma and obscurations through confession, practice, and the application of antidotes.

The dissolution of the physical body into light at the time of death, a sign of the highest realization in Dzogchen.

The foundational practice of entrusting oneself to the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), the gateway to all Buddhist paths.

The process of taking rebirth in one of the six realms according to one's karma after death.

The practice of sincerely delighting in the virtuous deeds and qualities of others, a powerful method for accumulating merit.

The compassionate aspiration to attain Buddhahood for all beings, encompassing both the wish (aspiration) and the action (application).

The sincere determination to be free from samsara, born from deep understanding of its suffering nature.

Pure, non-dual awareness; the natural state of mind as recognized in the Great Perfection (Dzogchen).

The practice of perceiving all appearances as pure — seeing the teacher as the Buddha, the environment as a Buddhafield, and all beings as deities.

One of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, renowned for its scholarly tradition and the Lamdre (Path and Result) teachings.

Meditative absorption; the state of one-pointed concentration in which the mind rests undistracted on its object.

The primordial Buddha of the Nyingma tradition, representing the dharmakaya — the fundamental purity of awareness itself.

The sacred commitments and bonds between the Vajrayana practitioner and their teacher, deity, and practice.

The enjoyment body of a Buddha; the luminous form visible only to advanced bodhisattvas in pure Buddhafields.

The cycle of conditioned existence characterized by suffering, driven by ignorance, attachment, and aversion.

The first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, built by King Trisong Detsen with the help of Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita.

The community of Buddhist practitioners; one of the Three Jewels in which one takes refuge.

All living beings who possess consciousness and cycle through samsara, the objects of a bodhisattva's compassion.

The seven-part practice of prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting to teach, requesting not to pass away, and dedication.

The seven masterworks of Longchenpa that systematize the entire Buddhist path, especially the Dzogchen teachings.

The historical Buddha of our era (c. 563-483 BCE), the Awakened One who taught the path to liberation.

Calm abiding meditation; the practice of settling the mind in tranquil, one-pointed attention.

The great Indian abbot and scholar (725-788) who ordained the first Tibetan monks and established Buddhism's philosophical foundation in Tibet.

The 8th-century Indian Buddhist master and author of the Bodhicaryavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva).

The six transcendent perfections: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom — the practices of a bodhisattva.

The six modes of existence within samsara: hell beings, hungry ghosts (pretas), animals, humans, demigods (asuras), and gods.

A purification ritual in which fragrant substances are burned as an offering to sacred beings and spirits of the land.

The first of Tibet's three great Dharma kings (c. 617-650), who introduced Buddhism to Tibet and created the Tibetan script.

A qualified spiritual guide essential for the path, who embodies the teachings and transmits them through personal instruction.

The network of channels, winds, and essential drops that forms the energetic basis for Vajrayana meditation practices.

The unsatisfactory nature of conditioned existence, encompassing pain, change, and the pervasive conditioning of samsara.

The Western Buddhafield of Amitabha, the 'Blissful' pure land that is the destination in phowa practice.

A discourse of the Buddha; also refers to the gradual path of the causal vehicle as opposed to the tantric approach.

The wholehearted delight in the happiness, success, and good fortune of others.

The esoteric teachings and texts of the Vajrayana that employ skillful methods of transformation for rapid attainment.

The female Buddha of compassionate activity, known as the 'Liberator,' who swiftly rescues beings from fear and danger.

Five personal and five circumstantial favorable conditions for Dharma practice, complementing the eight freedoms.

The ten principal harmful actions to be abandoned: three of body, four of speech, and three of mind.

The ten virtuous actions of body, speech, and mind that are the opposites of the ten negative actions.

The collection of Indian Buddhist commentaries and treatises translated into Tibetan, complementing the Kangyur.

Spiritual treasures concealed by Padmasambhava and others for discovery at the appropriate time by destined treasure-revealers.

A treasure-revealer; one who discovers terma teachings concealed by Padmasambhava for future generations.

The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha — the three objects of refuge in Buddhism.

The three bodies or dimensions of a Buddha: dharmakaya (truth body), sambhogakaya (enjoyment body), and nirmanakaya (emanation body).

The three root afflictive emotions — ignorance, attachment, and aversion — that drive the cycle of samsara.

The guru (source of blessings), the yidam (source of accomplishment), and the dakini (source of activity) — the Vajrayana objects of refuge.

The three ways to enhance any practice: beginning with bodhicitta, practicing without conceptual grasping, and concluding with dedication.

The great Indian mahasiddha (988-1069), teacher of Naropa, who received teachings directly from Vajradhara.

The practice of 'sending and taking' — breathing in the suffering of others and sending out one's own happiness and merit.

A sculpted offering cake made from barley flour and butter, used in rituals to make offerings to deities and spirits.

The oral reading of a text by a lineage holder that authorizes the student to study and practice that teaching.

Jigme Lingpa's comprehensive treatise on the entire Buddhist path, a companion text to the Longchen Nyingtik.

The great Dharma King of Tibet (742-797) who invited Padmasambhava and established Buddhism as the state religion.

Yogic practices involving the subtle channels and winds (energies) of the body, used in perfection phase meditation.

The great Tibetan reformer and scholar (1357-1419) who founded the Gelug school and emphasized monastic discipline and rigorous study.

A recognized reincarnation of a realized master who returns intentionally to benefit beings.

The twelve-part chain explaining how ignorance leads to suffering and rebirth in the cycle of samsara.

The accumulation of merit (through virtuous actions) and wisdom (through insight into emptiness), both necessary for Buddhahood.

The two veils that obscure Buddha-nature: afflictive obscurations (emotional) and cognitive obscurations (conceptual).

The conventional (relative) and ultimate (absolute) dimensions of reality, which together constitute a complete understanding.

The absolute nature of reality as emptiness, beyond all conceptual elaboration and dualistic perception.

The central Buddha of the five Buddha families, embodying the wisdom of the dharmadhatu (the expanse of reality).

The Bodhisattva of Power, embodying the spiritual power and activity of all the Buddhas.

The Buddha of purification, whose meditation and hundred-syllable mantra form the principal practice for cleansing negative karma.

The Diamond Vehicle; the tantric path of Tibetan Buddhism that uses visualization, mantra, and skillful means for rapid transformation.

The great Indian Dzogchen master who brought the Vima Nyingtik teachings to Tibet in the 8th century.

Clear seeing or insight meditation; the analytical investigation of the nature of reality that leads to the realization of emptiness.

The practice of creating and holding a mental image of a deity, pure land, or sacred scene as part of Vajrayana meditation.

Formal commitments to ethical conduct taken at different levels of the Buddhist path.

The practice of offering seven or eight bowls of water on a shrine as a daily act of generosity and devotion.

The Buddha's act of teaching, traditionally described as three turnings corresponding to different levels of teaching.

The insight that perceives the true nature of reality; the sixth of the six paramitas.

The principal Tibetan consort and disciple of Padmasambhava, who helped conceal terma teachings throughout Tibet.

A meditation deity chosen as the focus of one's Vajrayana practice; one of the Three Roots.

The Copper-Colored Mountain, the pure land of Padmasambhava where he currently resides and teaches.