Property:Gloss-def
From Buddha-Nature
This is a property of type Text.
T
The five subjects traditionally mastered by a pandita, namely: art and handicrafts, medicine, philology, logic, and philosophy. +
A text elucidating the meaning of a tantra. +
The feminine principle, wisdom or emptiness. See Great Mother; Prajnaparamita +
A special three-pronged trident carried by tantric yogis and specifically by Guru Padmasambhava. No doubt in connection with the story given here of Tsogyal's being hidden in the Guru's trident, in representations of Guru Rinpoche, the katanga is re-garded as a symbol of the spiritual consort. +
The lowest of the hot hells, according to Buddhist teaching, characterized by the most in-tense and protracted form of suffering. +
In this text, the terms empowerment and initiation are treated as synonyms. Of these two, initiation, though in many ways unsatisfactory, has the advantage of indicating that it is the point of entry into tantric practice. On the other hand, empowerment is closer to the Tibetan term, which refers to the transference of wisdom power, from master to disciple, allowing and enabling them to engage in the practice and to reap its fruit. In general, there are four levels of tantric empower-ment. The first is the Vase Empowerment, which purifies the defilements and obscurations associated with the body, grants the blessings of the Vajra Body, authorizes the disciple to practice the yogas of the generation stage, and enables him or her to attain the Nirmanakaya. The second is the Secret Empowerment. This purifies the defilements and obscurations of the speech faculty; grants the blessings of Vajra Speech; authorizes the disciple to practice the yogas of the perfection stage connected with the subtle channels, wind-energies, and essence of his own body; and enables the disciple to attain the Sambhogakaya. The third empowerment is the Wisdom Empowerment. This purifies the defilements and obscurations associated with the mind; grants the blessings of the Vajra Mind; authorizes the practice of yogas of the "Skillful Path," and enables the disciple to attain the Dharmakaya. The final empowerment, which is often simply referred to as "the Fourth Initiation," is the Precious Word Empowerment. This purifies the defilements of body, speech, and mind and all karmic and cognitive obscurations, grants the blessings of Primordial Wisdom, authorizes the disciple to engage in the practice of Dzogchen, and makes possible the attainment of the Svabhavikakaya. This is a simplification of a highly complex subject. It is perhaps worth pointing out that these empowerments only truly occur when the transition of spiritual power from the master is actually experienced by the disciple, who is thereby completely transformed. Failing that, which is of course the case for most people, empowerment does not, strictly speaking, occur. Empowerment ceremonies arc, in the vast majority of cases, symbolic; they are, so to speak, "sacramental blessings." These blessings are nevertheless important and in fact indispensable, in that they constitute an authorization for the practice and create auspicious links that prepare the disciple for the moment when real empowerment can take place. It goes without saying that in the case of Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal, the empower-ments were truly transmitted and received.
Another name of Guru Padmasambhava. +
Sovereign god of the Heaven of the Thirty-three, a celestial realm located in the world of desire. INITIATION. See empowerment +
A deity of the Hindu pantheon, belonging, in the Buddhist system, to the world of form. +
Tibetan king, father of the king Song-tsen Gampo. +
sometimes translated as "hero." The tantric equivalent of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. +
The three highest forms of concentra-tion cultivated by Bodhisattvas and begun on the path of Seeing. Mirage-Like concentration (sgyu ma Ita btt'i ling nge 'dzin) is an absorption in which the Bodhisattvas on the seven impure grounds perceive all phenomena as illusory. The concentration of heroic fearlessness (dpa bar 'gro bai ting nge 'dzin), which is possessed by Bodhisattvas on the pure grounds, eliminates all obstructions to enlightened activity. The vajra-like concentration (rdo rje Ita bui ting nge 'dzin) eliminates the most subtle obscurations veiling the perfect state of Buddhahood. It is virtually synonymous with the enlightenment itself, for only the Bodhisattvas who are at the very end of the tenth ground possess it. +
"That which eliminates the dualistic clinging of hope and fear (gtor) and unites one with the absolute nature of phenomena (ma)." A ritual object of varying shapes and composed of a variety of sub-stances. Depending on the context, the torma is considered as an offering, a symbolic representation of a deity, a source of blessings, or even as a weapon for dispelling obstacles. +
Centers of subtle wind-energies situated on the central channel of the body, the avadhuti. +
Lit., support of offerings. Symbolic represen-tation of the Buddha's mind. The most typical Buddhist monument, fre-quently containing the relics of enlightened beings and varying in size. It often has a square base, a rounded midsection, and a tall conical upper section topped by a sun and moon. +
Synonym of Vajravarahi. +
Action; the psychophysical principle of cause and effect (las rgyu 'bras), according to which all existential states arise as the result of previous action. Actions that result in the experience of happiness are defined as virtuous; actions that give rise to suffering are nonvirtuous. +
The last and highest of the inner tantras, the summit of the system of nine vehicles according to the Nyingma classification. See also Great Perfection +
