Property:Gloss-term
From Buddha-Nature
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bodhichitta;''Bodhi'' means awakening, while ''chitta'' means mind. Thus bodhichitta means "the awakening mind." There are two types of bodhichitta, absolute or ultimate bodhichitta, and relative bodhichitta. According to Gampopa, absolute bodhichitta is the non-dual realization of emptiness inseparable from compassion, which is radiant, unshakable and beyond concepts. Relative bodhichitta is the compassionate mind of the bodhisattva, which aspires and works to liberate all sentient beings from samsara through the practice of the six paramitas. +
Three Vehicles;three vehicles;The Hinayana or Small Vehicle, the Mahayana or Great Vehicle, and the Vajrayana or Diamond Vehicle. +
buddha field;buddha field;The realm or abode of a Buddha. +
mudra;Gesture, seal, sign, symbol. Mudra generally refers to the hand gestures during Vajrayana practices that symbolize the qualities, moods, and actions related to a specific yidam. Vajrayana practice incorporates one's body, speech, and mind into the practice. Mudra corresponds to the body, drawing it into sacred activity. Mudra thus supports mantra and samadhi in the process of invoking the yidam.
:See ''karmamudra'' and ''Mahamudra'' for other uses of the term. +
Beghar;A very powerful spirit who was subdued by Padmasambhava and made the guardian of Samye Monastery. Beghar is said to be the king of the spirit world. Some consider him an emanation of Amitabha. Beghar tests the resolve and purity of Dharma students. If the student is strongly established in his or her practice, Beghar can help them. +
yantra yoga;A series of highly esoteric bodily movements, similar to hatha yoga, that are traditionally introduced to advanced practitioners as a preliminary exercise and a support for tummo practice. When doing intensive method path practices such as tummo, wherein the yogi is manipulating the breathing and vigorously redirecting the flow of prana in the body, obstructions in energy can easily occur. These blockages can cause serious physical, energetic, and mental problems for the yogi, as illustrated by Gampopa's experiences with Milarepa. Therefore it is important to support any energy practices with yogic movements that help to rebalance the prana and to keep the nadis supple and clear of obstacles.
:Yantra is used as an aid to developing the natural state of body, breath (prana), and mind. The natural state of the mind is dependent upon establishing the natural state of prana, and the natural state of prana is founded on the natural healthy state of the vajra body. Thus yantra yoga also provides a preliminary foundation for the spontaneous presence of Mahamudra. +
karma;Action. The universal law that what we experience now is a result of our previous actions of body, speech, and mind;and what we experience in the future will be determined by our current actions. Karma is subdivided into positive, negative and neutral, stemming from wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral acts.
:One seeks to cultivate positive karma in order to provide beneficial circumstances for the practice of Dharma, and to purify negative karma in order to eliminate obstacles to practice. However, ultimate liberation from samsara is the result of insight and discipline, and can not be gained merely by positive karma;positive karma simply serves to create a fertile field wherein one is more likely to encounter Dharma and to have the predilection and propensity to practice. +
tsampa;tsampa;Roasted barley flour, a staple food of Tibetans. +
three realms;three realms;The Desire, Form, and Formless Realms. +
mantra;Mantras are Sanskrit syllables or words that are used to invoke the speech or energy qualities of a particular deity. It is unnecessary for the practitioner to know the meaning of the words, because the sound of the mantra itself helps to transform one's energy and thus one's awareness. Because of its relationship to breath, speech, and prana, mantra recitation can activate the jnanapranas and help to suspend the activities of the karmapranas. Mantra is always conjoined with visualization and mudra within a tantric sadhana. The vehicle of the Tantrayana is also referred to as the Mantrayana. +
Kadampa;kadampa;s the name given to the lineage established by Atisha in Tibet. It was later integrated into the Kagyupa school by Gampopa, and was the foundation of the Gelugpa lineage of the Dalai Lamas. +
pith-instructions;pith-instructions;The personal communication of the essence of a meditation practice from guru to student. Through this direct communication both the literal meaning and the intuitive sense are transmitted to a receptive disciple, since merely being in the field of a guru who has personally realized the practice conveys a powerful and subtle non-verbal message. The guru also adapts his presentation to the capacity, individual needs, and ripeness of the student in the moment. Meditations learned from books are considered useless without receiving the oral instructions from a guru. Because of its firm emphasis on the orally transmitted pith-instructions being passed from teacher to student, the Kagyu lineage is also known as the "hearing lineage." +
sindura mandala;A mandala drawn on a mirror or polished silver surface covered with sindura, a powder made of red lead, vermillion or cinnabar. In some traditions the red powder would be made of dried menstrual blood. +
illusory body;illusory body;In an ordinary being it refers to the subtle body composed of nadis, prana, and bindu. In an accomplished yogi who has refined the nadis, prana, and bindu, the illusory body becomes the basis for the rupakaya. It is also called the rainbow body or vajra body. See also ''four bodies of a Buddha'' and ''vajra body''. +
The Six Treatises of the Kadampas;the six treatises of the kadampas;are: The ''Buddhajataka'' or the ''Jataka Tales'', the collection of stories of the Buddha's former lifetimes;one excellent English version is ''The Hungry Tigress: Buddhist Legends and Jataka Tales'' as told by Rafe Martin, Berkeley: Parallax Press, 1990. The ''Dharmapada'' (Pali: ''Dhammapada'');numerous fine translations are available in English. The ''Bodhisattvacharyavatara'', by Shantideva;several translations exist in English, including, ''A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life'', translated by Stephen Batchelor. The ''Shikshasamuchaya'';the ''Bodhisattvabhumi'';and the ''Shravakabhumi''. +
ushnisha;The mound atop a Buddha's head, forming one of the major marks of a Buddha. +
transformation chakra;transformation chakra;This is the navel chakra (nirmana-chakra in Sanskrit) and is the source of creative power. Tummo practice is cented ([[sic]]) at the navel chakra, the center of creative spiritual force through which one can achieve tremendous realization. The navel chakra is also the easiest door through which to bring the energy-winds from the rest of the body into the central channel. +
method path;method path;This refers to the Six Yogas of Naropa, wherein, through meditation on the channels, winds, and drops, one transforms ordinary body, speech, and mind into the three vajras: vajra body, vajra speech, and vajra mind. It also refers to the generation and completion stage "with signs" (see ''completion stage'').
:Another meaning of "method" is great bliss. In contrast to other paths, which may emphasize the direct experience of wisdom through a penetrating realization of emptiness, the method path of Vajrayana emphasizes the union of wisdom and method, that is, the union of wisdom simultaneous with great bliss. +
Bhagavan;Blessed One. An epithet which usually refers to the Buddha. It is also used when referring to one's guru (who one sees as the Buddha), or when referring to a peaceful male yidam. +
daka;Sky-goer, hero, warrior. A male semi-wrathful yidam. One of the three roots of tantric refuge, dakas are beings who are related to enlightened activity and skillful means. They may also be messengers or protectors, depending on the context. There are both worldly and enlightened dakas. +
