Property:Gloss-term
From Buddha-Nature
This is a property of type Text.
T
pratimoksha vows;pratimoksha vows;Vows of individual liberation taken by the ordained sangha of the Foundational Vehicle. +
Tara;Drölma;drölma;"the Lady who Liberates," a female buddha much loved by the Tibetans. To protect beings from danger and assist them on life's path, she has twenty-one forms, the most popular being Green Tara and White Tara. +
Chittamatra;Known as the Mind Only school and belonging to the Mahayana, this philosophical school emphasizes the mental nature of all phenomena as they arise from the seeds of habitual patterns. An analogy for this mental nature is the dream, wherein both subject and object are mentally produced. Further, just as we wake up from a dream, so can we realize the illusory nature of perception divided into subject and object. The self-awareness that comes to know this reality beyond duality is posited as the ultimate. +
provisional meaning;provisional meaning;This refers to a teaching that was given when disciples were not yet ready to hear a more profound explanation, and therefore it is open to other levels of interpretation. It is paired with the term "definitive meaning." +
radung;radung;A long, deep-toned, telescoping horn that is played during ritual ceremonies. +
generation stage;generation stage;The first phase of visualization practice, in which the deity, arising out of emptiness, is brought to mind in vivid detail as a central focus while the deity's mantra is recited. ''See also'' completion stage. +
truths,two;truths,two;Relative truth involves the ordinary appearances of the everyday world and dualistic perception;whatever appears is interpreted in terms of subject and object. Ultimate truth is beyond the mundane world and its duality;a synonym for emptiness and free of all mental fabrications, it is also radiant and clear. +
nadi;The channels of the subtle body through which the winds, or prana, flow, +
deeper knowing;deeper knowing;prajna;A native intelligence that sees beyond the surface to a more profound reality, which can be seeing the impermanence of all phenomena, or more deeply, mind's nature itself. In dialectics, deeper knowing is traditionally defined as the faculty of the mind that is able to distinguish between the relative and the ultimate. +
calm abiding;calm abiding;shamatha;Common to most Buddhist schools, this is a meditation practice of bringing one's mind into sustained tranquillity. Through repeated practice, distractions are stilled and the mind is able to abide wherever it is placed. Calm abiding is the basis for the practice of deep insight. +
tulku;tulku;An individual who reincarnates consciously with the motivation to take rebirth in order to benefit others. +
reading transmission;reading transmission;The recitation of a text aloud, which sustains the flow of the transmission. The resonant words bring the blessing of the practice and a connection with the masters of the past from the one who has heard to the one who is listening. Reading transmissions are given for specific practices, mantras, practice manuals, philosophical texts, and other treatises. +
tantra;Usually translated as "continuum" or "thread," tantra is synonymous with the Vajrayana or Secret Mantrayana and can also refer to a text that presents these teachings or practices. The translation "continuum" points to the continuity of mind's nature in the beginning as the ground, in the middle along the path, and at the end when it fully manifests as the fruition. +
empowerment;empowerment;abhisheka;An initiation, usually given in a formal ceremony by a lama to disciples, transferring the authority to engage in a particular practice. A simple form conveys the blessing of the body, speech, and mind of the deity to the disciple's body, speech, and mind with the instruction to regard all forms as the deity, all sounds as mantra, and all thoughts as wisdom. +
Kangyur;kangyur;The recorded words of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Kangyur is found in many editions and numbers about 100 volumes containing 700 to 800 texts. Along with theTengyur (q.v.), it forms the central corpus of Buddhist texts in the Tibetan tradition. +
rinpoche;rinpoche;Literally, "precious one," an honorific given to all reincarnate lamas and also sometimes to exceptional teachers who have attained a high level of realization. When disciples use the term in relation to their lama, it conveys a sense of deep respect along with the warmth of a special connection. +
Amitabha;The red Buddha who presides over Sukhavati, the pure land in the west, which is uniquely accessible to humans due to his particular aspirations. He is the focus for the practice of transferring consciousness at death and of ceremonies for those who have died. +
mahamudra;The Great (maha) Seal (mudra) is the supreme practice in the Kagyu lineage. Its practices lead to a recognition of the nature of the mind, which is often defined as the union of bliss and emptiness. Describing this practice in ''Mahamudra: The Ocean of Definitive Meaning'', the great Indian adept Maitripa (1012-1097) states, "All phenomena are empty of self-essence. / The mind grasping them as empty is purified into its ground. / Free of intellect, with no object for the mind, / This is the path of all Buddhas." +
Jokhang;jokhang;The central temple in Lhasa and the most sacred in all of Tibet, the Jokhang was established by King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century and enshrines the famous statue of the Buddha, the Jowo Rinpoche (q.v.). +
sutra;The second of the three sections (along with the vinaya and abhidharma) of the tripitaka, the early compilation of the Buddha's teachings. More generally, a sutra is a text containing the discourses of Shakyamuni Buddha or those inspired by him. Sutras are often in the form of a dialogue between the Buddha and a disciple on a particular topic. Within discussions of philosophical view, the sutra approach refers to a gradual path to enlightenment, as distinguished from the swift path of the Vajrayana. +
