künshi (Tib.: kun gzhi). See alaya.
künshi ngangluk kyi gewa (Tib.: kun gzhi ngang lugs kyi dge ba). The natural virtue of the alaya, which is a gateway to yeshe, or wisdom; a synonym of basic goodness.
küntak (Tib.: kun brtags; Skt.: parikalpita). Random labeling; false conceptions.
Küntu Sangpo (Tib.: kun tu bzang po). See Samantabhadra.
kusha (Skt.). A grass considered sacred in India, used by the Buddha as a meditation cushion. The grass is also used in ritual ceremonies.
kye-che (Tib.: skye mched). See ayatana.
kye-me (Tib.: skye med). Unborn, birthless.
kyerim (Tib.: bskyed rim). See utpattikrama.
kyilkhor (Tib.: dkyil ’khor). See mandala.
ladawa (Tib.: la zla ba). To leap over, to bypass; the direct, as opposed to the gradual, path.
lam (Tib.: lam; Skt.: marga). Path.
lam küntu sangpo (Tib.: lam kun tu bzang po). All-good path. One of the five types of Samantabhadra. See also appendix 5, under Five Types of Samantabhadra (chapter 4).
lama (Tib.: bla ma). See guru.
la-me gyü (Tib.: bla med rgyud). Highest tantra; one of the four divisions of anuttarayoga. See also appendix 5, under The Four Divisions of Anuttarayoga (chapter 54).
la-me naljor (Tib.: bla ma’i rnal ’byor). See guru yoga.
lamkhyer (Tib.: lam khyer). Carrying all life circumstances to the path.
Langdarma (Tib.: glang dar ma). The grandson of Trisong Detsen, Langdarma ruled Tibet from approximately 838 to 841 CE. Langdarma was responsible for the religious persecution of Buddhists and the decline of dharma in eighth-century Tibet.
le (Tib.: las). Action, karma.
le gyu dre (Tib.: las rgyu ’bras). Cause and effect of actions, or karma; the third of the four reminders. See also appendix 5, under The Four Reminders (chapter 30).
len tang nammin la rewa mepa (Tib.: lan dang rnam smin la re ba med pa). Without hoping for a result or reward; the attitude of true generosity.
lesu rungwa (Tib.: las su rung ba). Workability; pliancy.
lhak-pe sugnyen gyi kyilkhor (Tib.: lhag pa’i gzugs brnyan gyi dkyil ’khor). Mandala of extra form; one of eight types of mandala in the mahayoga tantra. See also appendix 5, under The Eight Mandalas of Mahayoga (chapter 60).
lhak-pe tingdzin gyi kyilkhor (Tib.: lhag pa’i ting ’dzin gyi dkyil ’khor). Mandala of extra meditation; one of eight types of mandala in the mahayoga tantra. See also appendix 5, The Eight Mandalas of Mahayoga (chapter 60).
lhaksam (Tib.: lhag bsam; “superior thinking”). Another term for vipashyana.
lhakthong. See vipashyana.
lhenchik kye-pe yeshe (Tib.: lhan cig skyes pa’i ye shes). See coemergent wisdom.
lhündrup (Tib.: lhun grub). Spontaneous presence, one of the two principal aspects of the maha ati teachings, the other being kadak, or primordial purity. A characteristic of mahayoga practice and one of three qualities of the Great East. See also note 3 at the end of the Editor’s Introduction and appendix 5, under The Three Qualities of the Great East (chapter 1).
lhündrup kyi kyilkhor (Tib.: lhun grub kyi dkyil ’khor). Mandala of self-existence or spontaneous presence; one of eight types of mandala in the mahayoga tantra. See also appendix 5, under The Eight Mandalas of Mahayoga (chapter 60).
litri (Tib.: li khri; Skt.: sindura). Red lead; vermillion. A medicinal mineral used in ritual ceremonies.
lo (Tib.: blo). Mind, or basic intellect. It is formally defined as “that which is clear and aware” (Tib.: sel shing rikpa; gsal zhing rig pa).
lodok namshi. See four reminders.
lodral (Tib.: blo bral). Free from conceptualization, or intellect.
lodral chogdzin ledepa (Tib.: blo bral phyogs ’dzin las ’das pa). Transcending attachment to intellect and to nonintellectual fixations and bias. Free from concepts and going beyond fixations; the sixth category of sem-de.
lodrö (Tib.: blo gros). Intelligence, discriminating intellect; the transcendental form of lo.
Lodrö Thaye. See Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thaye.
lojong (Tib.: blo sbyong). Mind training; specifically, cultivating loving-kindness and compassion by practicing the slogans of the Seven Points of Mind Training, a teaching compiled by Geshe Chekawa Yeshe Dorje and attributed to Atisha.
long (Tib.: klong). Space, expanse. Nondirectional space.
long-de (Tib.: klong de). Category of space; one of the three principal divisions of the maha ati teachings.
long karpo (Tib.: klong dkar po). White space. Space in which there is no action; one of the four types of space described in the long-de section of maha ati.
long nakpo gyu mepa (Tib.: klong nag po rgyu med pa). Black space free from a cause. One of the four types of space described in the long-de section of maha ati.
long rabjam (Tib.: klong rab ’byams). All-encompassing space. One of the four types of space described in the long-de section of maha ati.
long trawo natsok rangshar gyen (Tib.: klong khra bo sna tshogs rang shar rgyan). Self-arising ornament of multicolored space. Space of the playfulness of mind, one of the four types of space described in the long-de section of maha ati.
Longchen Rabjam (Tib.: klong chen rab ’byams; 1308–1363 CE). Also known as Longchenpa. A great scholar of the Nyingma lineage, who bore the title “All-Knowing.” A prolific author, he played an important role in the transmission of the dzokchen teachings.
long-de (Tib.: klong de). Category of space; one of the three principal divisions of the ati teachings.
longku (Tib.: longs sku). See sambhogakaya.
lopham (Tib.: blo pham; “defeated mind”). Disappointment, discouragement.
loppön (Tib.: slob dpon). See dorje loppön.
lo-te (Tib.: blo gtad; “directing the mind”). Trust, confidence.
lo-te lingkyur (Tib.: blo gtad ling bskyur). Complete abandonment; trusting completely and being willing to let go. A quality of devotion.
lower tantra. In the nine-yana system, the first three of the six tantric yanas—kriyayoga, upayoga, and yogayana—along with the mahamudra teachings of highest yoga tantra, or anuttarayoga. See also appendix 5, under The Nine Yanas (chapter 40).
luminosity (Tib.: ösel; ’od gsal; Skt.: prabhasvara). The vividness of appearance that arises within, and is inseparable from, emptiness; the inherently clear and radiant nature of mind.
lung (Tib.: lung). Reading transmission; authorization to study a text or to practice a sadhana by listening to it being read.
madhyamaka (Skt.; Tib.: uma; dbu ma). The Middle Way school of mahayana Buddhism; a philosophical school based on the dialectical approach of undercutting any attempt to establish a solid logical position, developed by the great logician Nagarjuna.
madhyamika (Skt.). A proponent of the philosophical school of madhyamaka.
ma-gyü (Tib.: ma rgyud). See mother tantra.
maha ati (Skt.). See dzokpa chenpo.
Mahamaya (Skt.; Tib.: gyuma chenmo; sgyu ma chen mo; “great illusion”). A mother tantra of the anuttara tantra. Its principal deity, associated with the vajra family, is depicted as blue, four-armed, and in union with consort.
mahamudra (Skt.; Tib.: chaggya chenpo; phyag rgya chen po; “great symbol”). The meditative transmission handed down especially by the Kagyü school, from the buddha Vajradhara through Tilopa up to the present. A tradition of systematic meditative training, leading to a direct nonconceptual understanding of the vivid-empty nature of phenomenal reality.
Mahamudra-tilaka-tantra (Skt.). The Mahamudra Drop Tantra; a principal tantra of the mahamudra lineage.
mahasangha (Skt.). Great sangha, or community of practitioners.
mahasattva (Skt.; Tib.: sempa chenpo; sems dpa’ chen po). Great being; a term referring to great bodhisattvas, often at the level of the seventh bhumi or higher.
mahasiddha (Skt.). A great siddha or adept. Refers to highly accomplished tantric masters known for their great spiritual powers and the joining of spir
itual attainment with a variety of ordinary and eccentric lifestyles.
mahasukha (Skt.; Tib.: dewa chenpo; bde ba chen po). Great bliss. A term for the quality of the experience of egolessness in mahamudra. According to mahamudra, ego is a kind of filter standing between the mind and its world. When this filter is removed, one experiences a bliss beyond pleasure and pain.
Mahavairochana (Skt.). Name of an important Buddhist tantra; one of the central texts of the Japanese Shingon sect.
mahavipashyana (Skt.). A greater experience of vipashyana, associated with the practice of mahamudra. See also vipashyana.
mahayana (Skt.; Tib.: thekpa chenpo; theg pa chen po). Great vehicle; the second of the three yanas, which emphasizes the union of emptiness and compassion, the practice of the paramitas, and the ideal of the bodhisattva.
mahayoga (Skt.; Tib.: naljor chenpo; rnal ’byor chen po). The yoga of great union. In the nine-yana system, the first of the three higher tantric yanas, known as the all-encompassing yanas of skillful means, the imperial or conquering yanas. See also appendix 5, under The Nine Yanas (chapter 40).
maitri (Skt.; Pali: metta; Tib.: champa; byams pa). Friendliness, loving-kindness; one of the four limitless qualities that are to be cultivated on the bodhisattva path.
Mamaki (Skt.). The female buddha of the vajra family, the consort of Akshobhya. mamo (Tib.: ma mo; Skt.: matarah). Wrathful female deity who brings disease and catastrophe to those who violate tantric precepts, but prosperity to practitioners who do not violate their vows. The sixth of the eight logos, connected with the practice of the mother’s curse. See also appendix 5, under The Eight Logos / Druppa Kagye (chapter 61).
mandala (Skt.; Tib.: kyilkhor; dkyil ’khor; “center and periphery”). A symbolic representation of cosmic forces in two- or three-dimensional form, with a center and four gates in the four cardinal directions. Typically, a mandala includes a central deity, representing the brilliant sanity of buddha nature, surrounded by a retinue in the four principal directions. The outer world, one’s body, one’s state of mind, and the totality can all be seen as mandalas.
mandala nopika (Skt.; Tib.: tsogdrup; tshogs sgrub). Group practice of a sadhana, usually conducted for a specific length of time, such as ten or fifteen days, or a month.
Manjushri (Skt.; Tib.: Jampal; ’jam dpal). Bodhisattva of wisdom, usually depicted holding a prajnaparamita text and a sword, symbolizing the power of prajna and the cutting of twofold ego.
Manjushri-nama-sangiti (Skt.). Chanting the Names of Manjushri. A famous praise of Manjushri, sometimes referred to as the “king of all tantras.”
mantra (Skt.; Tib.: ngak; sngags; “mind protection”). Sanskrit words or syllables that are recited as a means of transforming energy through sound. In tantric practice, mantras are practiced in conjunction with meditation and mudras, or symbolic gestures.
mantrayana (Skt.; Tib.: ngakkyi thekpa; sngags kyi theg pa). Mantra vehicle; a synonym for vajrayana, whose meditation practices make extensive use of mantra. Sometimes referred to as the “secret mantrayana” or “secret mantra.”
margyi sangthal (Tib.: mar gyi zang thal; “confidence below”). Samsaric style of being confident.
marked with Samantabhadra (Tib.: Küntu Sangpo gyethoppa; kun tu bzang po rgyas thob pa). The quality of totality and basic goodness. The first of the seven aspects of vajrayana. See also appendix 5, under Seven Aspects of Vajrayana (chapter 6).
Marpa Lotsawa (Tib.: mar pa lo tsa ba; 1012–1097 CE). A renowned translator, Marpa brought the mahamudra teaching of Naropa and Maitripa to Tibet, becoming the first Tibetan in the Kagyü lineage. His most famous student was the great yogin Milarepa.
Matram Rudra (Skt.). See Rudra.
men-ngag gi de (Tib.: man ngag gi sde). Category of oral instruction; one of the three divisions of the maha ati teachings.
mikthur (Tib.: mig thur). Eye stick; ritual instrument used in an abhisheka to remove students’ blindfolds and point out the mandala.
Milarepa (Tib.: mi la ras pa; 1040–1123 CE). Tibet’s most famous yogin, Milarepa was famous for his ascetic discipline and songs of realization. He was the principal disciple of Marpa, and his student Gampopa founded the Takpo Kagyü lineage.
Mipham Rinpoche (Tib.: mi pham rin po che; 1846–1912 CE). A major scholar of the Nyingma and Ri-me traditions. He wrote over thirty-two volumes on such diverse topics as painting, poetics, sculpture, alchemy, medicine, logic, philosophy, and tantra. Also referred to as Mipham Jamyang Gyatso, Ju Mipham, or Jamgön Mipham.
mögü (Tib.: mos gus). Devotion; the combination of longing and humility.
mother tantra (Tib.: ma-gyü; ma rgyud). One of the four divisions of anuttarayoga. In general, mother tantras present deities associated with transmuting passion into enlightened energy. The Chakrasamvara Tantra and Hevajra Tantra are examples of mother tantras. See also appendix 5, under The Four Divisions of Anuttarayoga (chapter 54).
mudra (Skt.; Tib.: chaggya; phyag rgya). Sign, symbol, gesture. Usually a reference to symbolic hand gestures that accompany vajrayana practices. Mudra can also refer to the consort of a deity or yogin, as in the term karmamudra. Also, one of four characteristics of buddha-families. See also appendix 5, under Four Ways of Seeing Each of the Twenty-Five Buddha-Families (chapter 47).
nadi (Skt.; Tib.: tsa; rtsa). A subtle channel in the body through which energy, or prana, flows.
Nagarjuna (Skt.; second to third century CE). A great Indian teacher of Buddhism, the founder of the madhyamaka school of Buddhist philosophy. He contributed greatly to the logical development of the doctrine of shunyata and was the author of many key texts. According to tradition, he was also the guru of various important Buddhist teachers.
Nairatmya (Skt.; Tib.: Dagmema; bdag med ma; “egoless”). Consort of the deity Hevajra.
naljor shirim (Tib.: rnal ’byor bzhi rim). The four yogas of mahamudra: one-pointedness, simplicity, one taste, and nonmeditation.
Namgyal-tse (Tib.: rnam rgyal rtse; “all-victorious peak”). One of the two main monasteries of Surmang, the other being Dütsi Tel.
nangsi yeshe kyi khorlo shepa (Tib.: snang srid ye shes kyi ’khor lo shes pa). Knowing that all phenomena are included in the sphere of wisdom; one definition of mandala.
nangtong (Tib.: snang stong). Appearance-emptiness.
nangwa-gyur (Tib.: snang ba ’gyur). Changing what you see; changing perception. In terms of the ground, path, and fruition of devotion, it is the path of blessings.
Naropa (Skt. 1016–1100 CE). An Indian mahasiddha and scholar of Nalanda University, who was a disciple of Tilopa and a teacher of Marpa.
Nedo Kagyü (Tib.: gnas mdo bka’ rgyud). A subsect of the Kagyü lineage, founded by Karma Chagme (1613–1678 CE).
New Translation school (Tib.: sarma; gsar ma). The tantric teachings of the Kagyü, Sakya, and Geluk lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, which were brought to Tibet through the translations from Sanskrit begun by Rinchen Sangpo (958–1055 CE) and continued notably by Marpa (1012–1097 CE).
ngak (Tib.: sngags). See mantra.
ngakkyi thekpa (Tib.: sngags kyi theg pa). Mantrayana; another term for vajrayana.
ngedön (Tib.: nges don; Skt.: nitartha). True, or definitive, meaning. One of the categories that shows how the view of anuttarayoga is special in comparison with lower yanas. Views are considered as true in meaning if they are ultimate, needing no further qualification or interpretation. Contrasted with trangdön, or literal meaning. See also trangdön and chapter 51, “Taking a Fresh Look at the Phenomenal World.”
ngödrup (Tib.: dngos grub). See siddhi.
ngöndro (Tib.: sngon ’gro). That which goes ahead. Four traditional preliminary practices done before one receives vajrayana empowerment: usually 100,000 repetitions each of the refuge formula, prostration practice, Vajrasattva mantra recitation, and mandala offering. Often followed by guru yoga, which is a further preliminary.
ngo-she (Tib.: ngo shes). Recognition, familiarity; in particular, recognition of the tr
ue nature of mind.
ngotrö (Tib.: ngo sprod). See transmission.
nidana (Skt.; Tib.: tendrel; rten ’brel). One of the twelve links of interdependent origination, the samsaric cycle of cause and effect: ignorance, karmic formations, consciousness, name and form, the six senses, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, and old age and death. The web of mutually conditioned psychological and physical phenomena that constitute individual existence and entangle sentient beings in samsara.
Niguma (Skt.). A great female practitioner, who was the consort of Naropa.
nirmanakaya (Skt.; Tib.: tülku; sprul sku). Emanation body. One of the three kayas. See also trikaya.
nirvana (Skt.: “extinguished”; Tib.: nya-ngen ledepa; mya ngan las ’das pa; “gone beyond suffering”). Freedom from the sufferings of samsara; a synonym of enlightenment.
no obstacles (Tib.: parchö mepa; bar gcod med pa). Total awareness without obstacles or hazards. The fifth of the seven aspects of vajrayana. See also appendix 5, under Seven Aspects of Vajrayana (chapter 6).
nopika (Skt.; Tib.: druppa; sgrub pa). Essential practice, divided into two types: solitary practice and group practice.
nowness (Tib.: data; da lta). The spontaneous mind of the present instant, free from past or future; a synonym of ordinary mind.
nyam (Tib.: nyams). A temporary experience of meditation practice.
nyam kongphel (Tib.: nyams gong ’phel). Increased experience; the second of the four visions, or stages, of maha ati practice.
nyi-me gyü (Tib.: gnyis med rgyud). Nondual or union tantra; one of the four divisions of anuttarayoga. See also appendix 5, under The Four Divisions of Anuttarayoga (chapter 54).
Nyingma (Tib.: rnying ma; “ancient”). One of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It adheres to the oldest Buddhist traditions of Tibet, which were brought to Tibet from India by Padmasambhava in the eighth century. The Nyingma school is known for originating the nine-yana system and systematizing the maha ati, or dzokchen teachings.
nyönmong (Tib.: nyon mongs). See klesha.
nyuksem (Tib.: gnyug sems). Innate mind; primordial mind.
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