Property:Gloss-term
From Buddha-Nature
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T
two stages of yoga;two stages of yoga;The generation and completion stages of tantric meditation. +
Seven Branch Prayer;seven branch prayer;Used in all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism to develop bodhichitta, the mind of enlightenment, and to accumulate merit. The seven parts of the prayer are: (1) to prostrate and pay homage, either physically or mentally, to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the universe;(2) to make actual and visualized offerings to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas;(3) to confess all one's wrongdoings and one's violations of vows and precepts;(4) to rejoice in the virtuous conduct of all beings;(5) to pray that the Dharma continues to be present and taught to all beings in accordance with their capacity to understand;(6) to beseech the Buddhas not to pass into nirvana yet, but to remain in samsara and teach until all beings are enlightened;(7) to dedicate the merit of one's practice toward one's own enlightenment in order to be able to guide all sentient beings to a similar level of attainment. The Seven Branch Prayer can be practiced on its own or in short form as a preliminary prayer for other practices. +
sacred outlook;sacred outlook;The essential view of Vajrayana practice. The tantric practitioner seeks to maintain the pure perceptions of an enlightened being, wherein one's environment is viewed as a Buddha field;all beings appear in the form of one's yidam or as Buddhas, bodhisattvas, dakas and dakinis;all sound is perceived as mantra;and all that arises in the mind is perceived as inseparable from emptiness.
:In the Vajrayana view, maintaining sacred outlook is considered to be seeing into the true nature of reality and not merely idealistic projection. It helps us to cut through our ordinary distorted fixations on the nature of reality and to see things as they truly are. +
four maras;four maras;Four of the major obstacles to spiritual practice and enlightenment. These are: (1) skandha-mara, falsely perceiving the five skandhas as an inherently existing self;(2) klesha-mara, being overcome by the mental confusion of conflicting emotions;(3) mrtyu-mara, death, which causes a break in spiritual practice unless the practitioner is able to use the experience of dying to achieve enlightenment;(4) devaputra-mara, the "mara of the gods' son," where We becomes so pleasurable that one is distracted from spiritual practice. +
acharya;Master or teacher. Usually signifies accomplishment in both study and practice. See also ''vajracharya''. +
dharmata;The pure nature of reality, phenomena, and mind as they are, without elaboration. +
avadhuti;The central energy channel of the illusory body or vajra body. The central channel begins at the tip of the penis in men and the tip of the clitoris in women. It ascends in a straight line to the crown of the head, and then arches forward and downward, ending at the mid-eyebrow point. It is blue in color and straight like an arrow. Inside it has an oily red color. It is clear and transparent, and is soft and flexible like a flower petal. It is the trunk of the energy body, and links the chakras together. +
chakra;Circle, wheel. The energetic centers in the core of the body linked together by the central channel. The seven chakras are: (1) base chakra;(2) navel chakra;(3) solar plexus chakra;(4) heart chakra;(5) throat chakra;(6) third eye chakra;and (7) crown chakra. +
Six Yogas of Naropa;six yogas of naropa;Also called the Six Dharmas of Naropa, they are completion stage yogas of Highest Yoga Tantra: the yoga of inner heat;the yoga of the illusory body;the yoga of the dream state;the yoga of the bardo;the yoga of the clear light;and the yoga of the transference of consciousness at death. +
tantra;Tantra generally refers to the fundamental texts of the Vajrayana, and to the systems of meditation described therein. Vajrayana is divided into four levels of tantra: Action (Kriya Tantra);Performance (Charya Tantra);Union (Yoga Tantra);and Highest Union or Highest Yoga Tantra (Anuttara-yoga Tantra). Tantra works on simultaneously transforming the three aspects of one's ordinary body, speech, and mind into the transcendent body, speech, and mind of a Buddha, through mudra, mantra, and visualization.
:Because of its many skillful methods of practice, tantric Buddhism is often called "the short path" to enlightenment. It is possible to attain complete Buddhahood in one lifetime through tantra, as compared to the many aeons of effort required through Hinayana and the sutra level Mahayana practice. The different tantric Buddhist lineages are based on which tantras one has studied, and with which teachers one learned.
:Tibetan medicine and astrology are also presented in scriptures called tantras. See also ''Vajrayana''. +
mandala;The deity and his or her surrounding environment, often visualized or depicted in thangkas and sand paintings. It is usually constructed with a center and four gates, representing the four cardinal directions. One may also present a mandala representing the entire universe, with Mount Meru in the center, as an offering to the Three Jewels, in order to accumulate merit;this type of mandala is visualized, and can also be represented through mudra or through heaps of rice on a plate. +
five elements;five elements;Fire, earth, air, water, and space. +
stupa;Originally a reliquary containing the relics of the Buddha, later stupas were built to hold relics of other enlightened beings, scriptures, and statues as well. Stupas symbolize the dharmakaya, and range in size from small altar pieces to large monuments the size of buildings. +
doha;Spontaneous verse sung by Vajrayana practitioners as an expression of their realization and instruction. Milarepa is famous for his doha compositions, yet many other Indian and Tibetan masters have also composed brilliant and inspiring dohas.
:eight worldly dharmas The eight worldly dharmas are: gain and loss, pleasure and pain, fame and infamy, praise and scorn. +
siddhi;Psychic powers. There are two levels of powers or siddhis that come from doing intensive meditation: ordinary siddhis, which refer to miraculous powers such as levitation, flight, invisibility, the ability to create multiple images of oneself or to change form;and extraordinary siddhis, which mean full enlightenment, the perfection of wisdom and compassion. See also ''six psychic powers''. +
dakini;Sky-goer. A female yidam. Although they are usually depicted as wrathful or semi-wrathful, they can also be peaceful, as in the case of Yeshe Tsogyal, Padmasambhava's consort. They symbolize wisdom and emptiness, the basic, fertile space of wisdom out of which both samsara and nirvana arise. They can be playful and tricky, even dangerous, yet their essence is compassionate. There are both worldly and enlightened dakinis. +
Three Jewels The three objects of refuge are;three jewels the three objects of refuge are;the Buddha or awakened teacher, the Dharma or teachings, and the Sangha or community of fellow practitioners. These three form the essential basis for successful spiritual practice. +
Heruka;A wrathful male yidam, symbolizing the masculine principles of skillful means and energy. The Tibetan name, "trag thung," signifies one who drinks the blood of clinging to self. Chakrasamvara, Hevajra, and Hayagriva are some examples of Herukas. Heruka also refers to the wrathful and semi-wrathful deities who appear in the bardo of dharmata after death. +
six realms;six realms;The six dimensions of samsaric existence within the Desire Realm: (1) the god (deva) realm, brought about by pride;(2) the fighting or jealous god (asura) realm, brought about by jealousy or envy;(3) the human realm, brought about by desire;(4) the animal realm, brought about by ignorance and stupidity;(5) the hungry ghost (preta) realm, brought about by greed;(6) the hell realm, brought about by hatred and aggression. The first three worlds are known as the upper realms of samsara, and the last three are known as the lower realms. +
Pure Land;pure land;It often refers to the buddha field of Buddha Amitabha, known as the Pure Land of Great Bliss, Dewachen. But it can also refer to other buddha fields, or pure places where Buddhas abide. +
