The Tibetan Book of the Dead

by Dorje, Gyurme

  Spiritual Friend dge-ba’i bshes-gsnyen/dge-bshes, Skt. kalyānamitra

  The term ‘spiritual friend’ refers to a spiritual teacher (Skt. guru) who can contribute to an individual’s progress on the spiritual path to enlightenment and who acts wholeheartedly for the welfare of his or her students, adopting a renunciate lifestyle. In Tibet, during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the term became synonymous with the great masters of the Kadam school, who combined a scrupulously renunciate lifestyle and deep humility with profound scholarship and meditative resolve. In later centuries, the Tibetan abbreviation geshe came to have an academic usage in the Gelug school, where it now identifies a scholar-monk with a doctorate title in traditional Buddhist studies, and is similar to the modern usage of the term ‘khenpo’ (mkhan-po) in other traditions. See also under Monastic Preceptor.

  Spiritual Hero dpa’-bo, Skt. vῑra

  A synonym for awareness holder and for ḍāka, the male equivalent of the ḍākinῑ.

  Spiritual Sibling mched-grogs/rdo-rje spun-sring

  In the context of the tantras, six types of spiritual sibling are identified: 1) universal spiritual siblings, i.e. all sentient beings who from beginningless time have been one’s parents; 2) spiritual siblings who share the Buddhist teachings; 3) harmonious spiritual siblings, who are similar in view and conduct; 4) dear spiritual siblings, who share the same spiritual teacher; 5) close spiritual siblings, who receive teaching together; and 6) intimate spiritual siblings, who receive empowerment together.

  Spiritual Teacher bla-ma, Skt. guru

  The original Sanskrit word ‘guru’ literally means ‘heavy’ or ‘weighty’, and by extension a ‘venerable teacher’. The Tibetan equivalent ‘bla-ma’ (pronounced lama) means ‘unsurpassed’ or ‘supreme’, indicating that the guru is unsurpassed in terms of being the perfect object towards which meritorious activity should be directed. However, it is important to note that specific qualifications are necessary in order to be considered as a spiritual teacher. These qualifications differ according to the level of spiritual practice at which a teacher is adopted. In the context of the tantras, the spiritual teacher is said to confer blessings on the meditator, in contrast to the meditational deity, who confers supreme accomplishment and the ḍākinῑ, who confer enlightened or buddha activities. Ultimately, the guru is one’s own buddha nature.

  Spontaneous Presence lhun-grub, Skt. anābhoga

  In the esoteric instructional class of the Great Perfection (Atiyoga), the term primordial purity (ka-dag) refers to the ultimate essence of buddhahood, the Buddha-body of Reality, the realisation of which is approached through the practices of Cutting through Resistance (khregs-chod), as described in Chapter 4, and spontaneous presence refers to the expressive nature of the Buddha-body of Reality as the Buddha-body of Form, the realisation of which is approached through the practices of All-surpassing Realisation (thod-rgal ), as indicated in the emergence of the luminosities described in Chapter 11. More generally, this term refers to spontaneous or effortless activity, the fifth of the five kinds of buddha activity, according to the Mahāyoga texts.

  Śrī Siṃha shri sing-ha

  The name of an early exponent of the Atiyoga teachings, who was a native of Shokyam in Central Asia.

  Śrīmat dpal-dang ldan-pa’i zhing-khams, Skt. Śrῑmat

  The southern buddha field of ‘The Glorious’ is the pure realm presided over by the male buddha Ratnasambhava.

  Stūpa mchod-rten

  A sacred object representative of buddha-mind. Stūpas were originally a symbol of the Buddha-body of Reality, constructed in a dome-shape to hold the remains of Śākyamuni Buddha. The veneration of stūpas is closely connected to the earliest phase of the Greater Vehicle in ancient India, where the original stūpa design developed within the central monastic assembly hall (Skt. caitya). The stūpas commonly seen in Tibetan cultural areas are constructed to a specific architectural design, usually in the shape of a dome, raised on a square base of several layers, from which rises a multilayered spire. In monasteries and sacred sites, a series of eight stūpas is frequently constructed, symbolising different events in the life of Śākyamuni Buddha. Others are extraordinarily large, like those of Baudhanāth and Svayambhū in Nepal, or Sanchi in India and Borabudor in Indonesia, and some enclose within them entire maṇḍalas of deities, such as the Pelkhor Chode at Gyantse in Tsang and the Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Bhutan. The symbolism of the stūpa is complex, representing the progression to buddhahood, the five elements, the five pristine cognitions, and so forth. Smaller reliquary stūpas are frequently built as a funerary memorial to important spiritual teachers, often enshrining their sacred ashes or embalmed remains.

  Subduer rtsad-du gcod-pa

  According to the terminology of the Nyingma school, the six herukas of the assembly of fifty-eight wrathful deities are given the title ‘subduer’, referring to their activity of natural transformation with respect to the dissonant mental states. See Appendix Two.

  Subjugation dbang-gi las, Skt. vaṣitakriyā

  See Four Aspects of Enlightened Activity.

  Sublime One ’phags-pa, Skt. ārya

  A sublime being is one who has entered into a direct realisation of the actual nature of reality, in other words the lack of self-identity of both oneself and phenomena. The level of experience of an ārya is stratified in relation to the resultant stage of the vehicle being followed.

  Substantialist Views mtshan-’dzin, Skt. lakṣaṇagrahaṇa

  The mistaken apprehension that the form, colour and other characteristics assumed by any particular entity have inherent existence.

  Subterranean Goddesses brtan-ma

  An important class of twelve indigenous Tibetan spirits who personify the mighty snow ranges of Tibet and who are gathered within the outer retinue (phyi-’khor) of the fifty-eight wrathful deities. Foremost among them are Kongtsun Demo (associated with Mt Namchak Barwa), Machen Pomra (associated with Mt Amnye Machen), Dorje Chenchikma (associated with Mt Everest), Do-rje Kundrakma (associated with Mt Nyenchen Tanglha), and Dorje Kuntizang (associated with Mt Nojin Gangzang).

  Subtle Body phra-ba’i lus Skt. sūkṣmakāya

  In contrast to our gross physical body, which is composed of flesh, bones and blood, the subtle body comprises a network of subtle energy channels, vital energies and seminal points of energy. This form arises as a natural expression of the interaction of the subtle mind and the subtle vital energies on which it depends. See the Introductory Commentary by HH the Dalai Lama. The most advanced level of subtle body, known in the tantras as the pure illusory body (sgyu-lus), is experienced only when an indivisible unity of buddha-body, speech and mind has been actualised at the conclusion of the generation and perfection stages of meditation. A similitude of such a subtle body can be experienced during the practice of dream yoga, when the level of consciousness is relatively subtle and deep, due to the temporary cessation of active sensory processes. The mental body (yid-lus) experienced during the intermediate state of rebirth is also a form of subtle body.

  Suffering sdug-bsngal, Skt. duḥkhatā

  In a Buddhist context, the term ‘suffering’ is used in a broad sense and includes not only physical sensations but also mental experiences, that is to say all the essentially unsatisfactory experiences of life in cyclic existence. The various forms of suffering can be categorised into three groups: 1) the suffering of suffering (duḥkhaduḥkhatā), 2) the suffering of change (vipariṇāmaduḥkhatā), and 3) the suffering of pervasive conditioning (saṃskāraduḥkhatā). The first category refers to all our physical sensations and mental experiences which are self-evident to us as suffering and towards which we have spontaneous feelings of aversion. The second category includes all our experiences which are normally recognised as pleasant and desirable, but which are nonetheless suffering in that persistent indulgence in these always results in the changed attitude of dissatisfaction and boredom. It is only through reflection that the unsatisfactory
nature of such experiences can be realised. The third category refers to a basic level of suffering which underlies the round of birth, sickness, old age and death. This suffering serves as the cause of our experiences of the two other classes of suffering. It is called pervasive because it extends to all forms of life in cyclic existence, irrespective of whether or not life-forms are endowed with bodily existence. Suffering is identified as the first of the four noble truths (Skt. caturāryasatya ), which were taught by Śākyamuni Buddha in the course of his first discourse, and the entire path of Buddhism, embracing all its Vehicles (yāna), may be seen as the ways of eliminating suffering, thus bringing an end to cyclic existence itself.

  Sugata Family bde-bar gshegs-pa’i rigs, Skt. sugatakula

  A synonym for the Buddha family. See Buddha Family.

  Sukhāvatī bde-ba-can-gyi zhing-khams

  The western buddha field of ‘The Blissful’ is the pure realm presided over by the buddha Amitābha.

  Supernormal Cognitive Power mngon-shes, Skt. abhijñā

  Supernormal cognitive power is considered to be a by-product of advanced meditation , but similitudes of these powers are said to arise during the intermediate state of rebirth (srid-pa’i bar-do). Six powers are specifically enumerated: clairvoyance (lha’i mig-gi mngon-shes, Skt. divyacakṣurabhijñā); clairaudience (lha’i rna-ba’i mngon-shes, Skt. divyaśrotrābhijñā); knowledge of the minds of others (gzhan-sems shes-pa’i mngon-shes, Skt. paracittābhijñā); miraculous abilities (rdzu-’phrul-gyi shes-pa’i mngon-shes, Skt. ṛddhyabhijñā); knowledge of past lives (sngon-gnas rjes-su dran-pa’i mngon-shes, Skt. pūrvanivāsānusmṛtyabhijñā); and knowledge that the flow of all corrupt past actions has ceased (zag-pa zad-pa’i mngon-shes, Skt. āsravakṣayābhijñā). Among these, the first five are said to be mundane powers, whereas the sixth is possessed by buddhas alone.

  Supreme Assembly tshogs-chen

  In this context, a synonym for Monastic Community.

  Sūtra mdo

  The original discourses which Śākyamuni Buddha taught publicly to his disciples as a fully ordained monk, consequent to his attainment of buddhahood. In the context of the three successive turnings of the wheel of the sacred teachings, the Buddha expounded respectively 1) the discourses on the doctrine of the four noble truths (Skt. caturāryasatya), 2) the Perfection of Discriminative Awareness (Prajñāpāramitā ), Ratnakūṭa and related sūtras which emphasise signlessness, aspirationlessness and emptiness, and 3) the Nucleus of the Tathāgata (Tathāgatagarbha) and related sūtras, as well as the Sūtra of the Unravelling of Enlightened Intention (Sandhinirmocanasūtra), which emphasise buddha nature and the thorough analysis of buddha attributes. Among these the first category is the corpus of the Lesser Vehicle sūtras and the last two are the Greater Vehicle sūtras. The scriptural transmissions of the sacred teachings of Buddhism comprise the canonical sūtras and tantras, as well as their commentarial literature.

  Sūtrayāna mdo-sde’i theg-pa

  A term referring collectively to the first three of the nine vehicles when contrasted with the six vehicles of the tantras. See also under Greater Vehicle.

  Symbolic Lineage of Awareness Holders rig-’dzin brda’i brgyud-pa

  The lineage through which non-human and human awareness holders of the highest spiritual accomplishments symbolically receive the teachings from bodhisattvas of the tenth level. More specifically, this refers to the transmission of advanced bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrῑ, Avalokiteśvara, and Vajrapāṇi who communicated with their respective disciples (gods, serpentine water spirits and mountain or sylvan spirits) by means of symbolic gestures rather than words. It also refers to the mode in which the earliest human progenitors of the Atiyoga lineage received and transmitted their highest teachings.

  Tantra rgyud

  The Sanskrit word tantra and its Tibetan equivalent rgyud literally mean a ‘continuum’ or ‘unbroken stream’ flowing from fundamental ignorance to enlightenment . Tantra has two basic meanings in Buddhism - it refers to the continua of ground, path and result, and to the literature or tantra texts which expound these continua in the context of the classes of tantra (see below). The former is the actual meaning of tantra. Through the continuum of the path (lam-gyi rgyud) the primordially present continuum of the ground (gzhi’i rgyud) is realised or fully manifested as the continuum of the result (’bras-bu’i rgyud). Because tantra includes sophisticated techniques which, unlike the sūtra path, enable dissonant mental states, such as desire/attachment and hatred/aversion, to be transmuted into states of realisation, without renunciation or rejection, the practitioner can cultivate an uninterrupted continuum between the practitioner’s ordinary initial mind, the advanced mind on the path, and the resultant fully enlightened mind of the Buddha. In the Nyingma school the literature which expounds this dynamic is divided into a sixfold classification of the three outer tantras, namely: Kriyātantra, Ubhayatantra , and Yogatantra, and the three inner tantras, namely: Mahāyoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga. These six classes represent stages of ever-decreasing emphasis on external ritual and ever-increasing subtlety of internal meditation together with an ever-increasing subtlety of the dissonant mental states, attachment in particular, that can be transformed into a blissful experience conjoined with the realisation of the actual nature of reality. It is said that on the basis of the fulfilment of the generation and perfection stages of the three inner tantras fully manifest buddhahood can be attained in a single lifetime.

  Tathāgata de-bzhin gshegs-pa

  A synonym for buddha, used frequently in the sūtras, which literally means ‘One Who Has Thus Gone’. The expression is interpreted in different ways, corresponding to the different classes of sūtras and tantras, but in general it implies ‘one who has departed in the wake of the buddhas of the past’, or ‘one who has manifested the supreme enlightenment dependent on the reality that does not abide in the two extremes of existence and quiescence’.

  Ten Directions phyogs-bcu, Skt. daśadik

  The four cardinal and four intermediate directions, as well as the zenith and nadir.

  Ten Opportunities ’byor-ba bcu

  See Eight Freedoms and Ten Opportunities.

  Ten Similes of Illusory Phenomena shes-bya sgyu-ma’i dpe-bcu

  The ten similes which illustrate the illusory nature of all things are: illusion (sgyu-ma), mirage (smig-rgyu), dream (rmi-lam), reflected image (gzugs-brnyan), a celestial city (dri-za’i grong-khyer), echo (brag-ca), reflection of the moon in water (chu-zla), bubble of water (chu-bur), optical illusion (mig-yor), and an intangible emanation (sprul-pa).

  Terracotta Imprints tsha-tsha

  Small votive images moulded with clay fashioned in the form of miniature stūpas or bas-relief meditational deities. They are usually empowered, in the context of appropriate rituals, and frequently interred within a larger stūpa or kept by devotees as an object of veneration.

  Third Empowerment dbang gsum-pa

  The third of the four empowerments. See Four Empowerments.

  Thirty-two Major Marks mtshan sum-cu-so-gnyis, Skt. dvātriṃśanmahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa

  See Major and Minor Marks.

  Those Gone to Bliss bde-bar gshegs-pa, Skt. sugata

  An epithet of the buddhas. The expression ‘those gone to bliss of the three times’ (dus-gsum bde-gshegs) refers to the buddhas of the past, present, and future, exemplified respectively by Dῑpamkara, Śākyamuni, and Maitreya.

  Thread-cross mdos

  In its simplest form a thread-cross can be two crossed sticks or a simple wooden frame (nam-mkha’) around which coloured threads (rgyang-bu) are arranged in a diamond or other more complex pattern. Thread-crosses vary in size and complexity depending on the type of ritual for which they are constructed. In essence, they represent a ‘trap’ for negative and malevolent forces, where the trap symbolises and is empowered with all the qualities that can satisfy the negative or malevolent force. Thus, the design of the thread-cross can closely mirror that of a st�
�pa or three-dimensional maṇḍala and represent the purity of the psycho-physical aggregates, elemental properties, and sensory and mental processes, etc. On some occasions these complex thread-crosses can be enormous structures up to tens of feet high.

  Three Buddha-bodies sku-gsum, Skt. trikāya

  The Three Buddha-bodies comprise the Buddha-body of Reality, the Buddha-body of Perfect Resource, and the Buddha-body of Emanation. Jointly, they form the secret object of refuge. See their individual entries, and also under Refuge.

  Three Levels of Existence srid-pa gsum, Skt. tribhava

  The three levels of existence are those of celestial, terrestrial and subterranean beings.

  Three Lower Existences ngan-song gsum, Skt. tridurgati

  See Lower Existences.

  Three Poisons dug-gsum

  Attachment, aversion and delusion. See their individual entries.

  Three Precious Jewels dkon-mchog gsum, Skt. triratna

  The Three Precious Jewels comprise the Buddha (sangs-rgyas); the sacred teachings (Skt. saddharma, Tib. dam-pa’i chos); and the monastic community of monks and nuns (Skt. saṅgha, Tib. dge-’dun). Together these three form the outer objects of refuge (see Chapter 1). They are regarded as the perfect objects in which refuge can be sought from the unsatisfactory nature of life in cyclic existence in general, and particularly from the potential suffering of unfavourable future existences. They are called ‘precious jewels’ because, like the wish-fulfilling jewels of Indian classical literature, in their metaphorical sense, they possess the wish-fulfilling capacity to provide protection from the perils of cyclic existence. See their individual entries and also under Refuge.