skandha (Skt.; Tib.: phungpo; phung po; “heap”). One of the five collections of dharmas that constitute an individual’s experience: form, feeling, perception / impulse, concept / formation, and consciousness.
Songtsen Gampo (Tib.: srong bstan sgam po; 569–649 CE). Seventh-century king of Tibet, regarded as one of the best and most benevolent of Tibetan monarchs, who built the first Buddhist temples in Tibet and paved the way for the transmission of the dharma into Tibet.
sota nopika (Skt.; Tib.: chigdrup; gcig sgrub). Solitary practice. A sadhana practice that is traditionally done alone.
spiritual friend. See kalyanamitra.
spiritual materialism. Materialistic approach to spirituality and religion based on attachment to spiritual experiences; corrupting the spiritual path into a source of personal power and ego aggrandizement.
Suchandra (Skt.). See Dawa Sangpo.
suehiro (Jpn.). Hand fan.
sugata (Skt.; Tib.: dewar shekpa; bde bar gshegs pa). One who has gone beyond with joy; a buddha. A synonym of tathagata.
sugatagarbha (Skt.; Tib.: dewar shek-pe nyingpo; bde bar gshegs pa’i snying po; “essence of one gone to bliss”). A synonym of tathagatagarbha, or buddha nature.
sugnyen gyi kyilkhor (Tib.: gzugs brnyan gyi dkyil ’khor). Mandala of form; one of eight types of mandala in the mahayoga tantra. See also appendix 5, under The Eight Mandalas of Mahayoga (chapter 60).
suk (Tib.: gzugs). See rupa.
sungwa (Tib.: gzung ba). Fixation. See also fixation and grasping.
Surmang (Tib.: zur mang). Many-cornered; name of the monastery complex that for twelve generations has served as the seat of the Trungpa tülkus in eastern Tibet. Surmang traces its roots back over five hundred years to the mahasiddha Trung Ma-se.
Surmang Garchen (Tib.: zur mang sgar chen; “many-cornered great camp”). A traveling monastery in the early days of the Trungpa tülkus. At that time, monks traveled in caravans. Their libraries were on pack mules, the shrine room was a large tent, and the monks’ and abbot’s quarters were also tents.
sutra (Skt.; Tib.: do; mdo). Thread, string, cord. Hinayana and mahayana texts in the Buddhist canon attributed to the Buddha. Sutra also means a meeting point or junction, referring to the meeting of the Buddha’s enlightenment and the student’s understanding. A sutra is usually a dialogue between the Buddha and one or more of his disciples, elaborating a particular topic of dharma.
Sutra of the Recollection of the Noble Three Jewels (Skt.: arya-ratnatraya-anusmriti sutra). A sutra on the qualities of the Buddha, dharma, and sangha studied in many schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
SVAHA (Skt.). A word that concludes many mantras, meaning “So be it.”
tagnang (Tib.: dag snang; “pure perception”). See sacred outlook.
tai tung (Chin.). Great East. A Chinese term used by Trungpa Rinpoche to express key qualities of vajrayana discipline, primarily the qualities of being primordial, eternal, and self-existent. Also, a key term in the Shambhala teachings of basic goodness and establishing an enlightened society.
takpa (Tib.: rtag pa). Eternal, permanent; one of the qualities of tathagatagarbha and of the Great East. See also appendix 5, under The Three Qualities of the Great East (chapter 1).
taljor nyeka (Tib.: dal ’byor rnyed dka’). Free and well-favored, difficult to find. First of the four reminders (precious human birth). See also appendix 5, under The Four Reminders (chapter 30).
Tamdrin (Tib.: rta mgrin). See Hayagriva.
tampa (Tib.: dam pa). Holy, sacred; the best.
tamtsik (Tib.: dam tshigs). See samaya.
tantra (Skt.; Tib.: gyü; rgyud; “continuity”). A synonym of vajrayana. Tantra refers both to the root texts of the vajrayana and to the systems of meditation they describe.
tantrayana (Skt.). A synonym of vajrayana; also referred to as tantra.
tantrika (Skt.; Tib.: ngakpa; sngags pa). A practitioner of vajrayana.
Taranatha (Skt.; 1575–1634 CE). Renowned teacher of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism, which specialized in the Kalachakra Tantra and the shentong view.
tathagata (Skt.; Tib.: teshin shekpa; de bzhin gshegs pa). Thus gone or thus come; an epithet of the Buddha. One who has attained supreme enlightenment.
tathagatagarbha (Skt.; Tib.: teshin shekpe nyingpo; de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po). Buddha nature; the intrinsic state of wakefulness inherent in all sentient beings. A synonym of sugatagarbha.
tathata (Skt.; Tib.: teshinnyi; de bzhin nyid). Thusness; another term for things as they are; the world as seen from the viewpoint of sacred outlook.
te-kho-na-nyi (Tib.: de kho na nyid; “only that itself”; Skt.: tattva). Suchness, things as they are. The ground of the constituents of the inner mandala.
ten-se (Tib.: gtan zad). Permanently worn-out; exhausted.
tendrel (Tib.: rten ’brel; Skt.: pratitya-samutpada). Interdependent origination, one of the early core teachings of the Buddha; auspicious coincidence.
tentsik khungdip (Tib.: gtan tshigs khung rdib). The falling apart of your home or of the basis of your life; the third category of sem-de.
tepa (Tib.: dad pa). Faith, conviction. Feeling steady and confident in the path, as well as knowing what to cultivate and what to avoid.
terma (Tib.: gter ma). Hidden treasure teachings. Terma are usually attributed to Padmasambhava and his consorts, who are said to have hidden certain teachings to be revealed at a proper time in the future by a tertön, or terma discoverer. Terma can take the form of a physical object such as a text or ritual implement buried in the ground, hidden in a rock or crystal, in a tree, a lake, or in the sky. Terma also refers to teachings understood as being concealed within the mind of the guru, the true place of concealment.
tertön (Tib.: gter ston). Discoverer of a terma. See also terma.
thamal gyi shepa (Tib.: tha mal gyi shes pa). Ordinary mind. Here, ordinary has the sense of not being fabricated or altered in any way.
thapkyi thekpa (Tib.: thabs kyi theg pa). Vehicle of skillful means; another term for vajrayana.
That (Skt.: tattva). Reality, suchness, things as they are; in particular, the nature of reality pointed out in the fourth abhisheka.
thekpa (Tib.: theg pa). See yana.
thögal (Tib.: thod rgal; “direct crossing”). In the Nyingma tradition, one of the two principle practices belonging to the oral instruction section of maha ati. Maha-ati practice has two main sections: trekchö and thögal. The former emphasizes primordial purity (kadak). The latter, which consists of spontaneously appearing visions, emphasizes spontaneous presence (lhündrup). See also trekchö.
thoughtfulness / unthoughtfulness (Tib.: gongpachen / gongpa mayinpa; dgongs pa can / dgongs pa ma yin pa). One of the pairs of categories that show how the view of anuttarayoga is special in comparison with lower yanas. Also referred to as implied or intended, and not implied or not intended. The view of anuttarayoga is thoughtful. See also chapter 51, “Taking a Fresh Look at the Phenomenal World.”
three gates (Tib.: gosum; sgo gsum). Body, speech, and mind; the three modes by which one relates to the phenomenal world.
three jewels (Skt.: triratna; Tib.: könchok sum; dkon mchog gsum). The three supreme objects of refuge: the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha.
three marks (Tib.: tsensum; mtshan gsum). The three basic qualities of samsaric existence: suffering, impermanence, and egolessness.
three times (Tib.: tüsum; dus gsum). The past, the present, and the future.
Tibetan Book of the Dead (Tib.: bardo thödröl; bar do thos grol). Common Western title for the Tibetan text called Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo. The text is said to have been composed by Padmasambhava in the eighth century and written down by his consort Yeshe Tsogyal. It was discovered in the form of a terma in the fourteenth century by the tertön Karma Lingpa. It is comprised of detailed instructions on the possibility of awakening during the experiences of dying, bardo, and rebirth.
Tilopa (Skt.; 988–1069 CE). A gre
at Indian siddha and a forefather of the Kagyü lineage. Tilopa unified various tantric systems and transmitted them to his student Naropa.
tingdzin (Tib.: ting ’dzin). See samadhi.
tingdzin gyi kyilkhor (Tib.: ting ’dzin gyi dkyil ’khor). Mandala of meditation; one of eight types of mandala in the mahayoga tantra. See also appendix 5, under The Eight Mandalas of Mahayoga (chapter 60).
togden (Tib.: rtogs ldan). One who is realized; an accomplished yogin.
tokpa (Tib.: rtogs pa). Realization, understanding; in particular, realizing the truth of dharma. Its homonym (Tib.: rtog pa) means “discursive thoughts.”
tokpa gak (Tib.: rtog pa dgag). Cessation of thought; nonthought.
tokpa küntu sangpo (Tib.: rtogs pa kun tu bzang po). All-good realization. One of the five types of Samantabhadra. See also appendix 5, under Five Types of Samantabhadra (chapter 4).
töndam (Tib.: don dam; Skt.: paramartha). Ultimate, absolute. Sometimes used as an abbreviation for töndampe denpa (don dam pa’i bden pa), the ultimate truth. See also kündzop.
tonglen (Tib.: gtong len). Sending and taking, a key practice of mahayana mind training; the practice of exchanging oneself for others.
töngyi yeshe (Tib.: don gyi ye shes). Actual wisdom; ultimate wisdom. In the fourth abhisheka of anuttarayoga, the flash of no mind.
tongsuk (Tib.: stong gzug). Empty form; form that is intrinsically empty and nonexistent.
tönkhor gongpa yerme (Tib.: ston ’khor dgongs pa dbyer med). Inseparability of the mind of the teacher and the mind of the student.
tönpa küntu sangpo (Tib.: ston pa kun tu bzang po). All-good teacher. One of the five types of Samantabhadra. See also appendix 5, under Five Types of Samantabhadra (chapter 4).
torma (Tib.: gtor ma). A sculpture made of barley flour, used as a shrine offering, a feast-offering substance, or as a representation of deities.
trag-ngak (Tib.: drag sngags). Wrathful mantra. Eighth of the eight logos, connected with confidence, directness, and fearlessness. See also appendix 5, under The Eight Logos / Druppa Kagye (chapter 61).
traktong (Tib.: grags stong). Sound-emptiness.
trangdön (Tib.: drang don; Skt.: neyartha). Literal, or provisional, meaning. When contrasted with ngedön, one of the pair of categories that show how the view of anuttarayoga is special in comparison with lower yanas. Views are considered as literal in meaning when they are useful but need further qualification. See also ngedön and chapter 51, “Taking a Fresh Look at the Phenomenal World.”
transmission (Tib.: ngotrö; ngo sprod). The meeting of the mind of the guru with the mind of the student. The pointing out, usually through gesture and symbol, of the true nature of mind.
trekchö (Tib.: khregs chod; “cutting through”). In the Nyingma tradition, one of the two principle practices belonging to the oral instruction section of maha ati. It is similar to the practice of mahamudra in the Kagyü tradition. See also thögal.
tri (Tib.: khrid). Practice instructions given at the time of an abhisheka.
trikaya (Skt.; Tib.: kusum; sku gsum). The three bodies of a buddha: nirmanakaya, sambhogakaya, and dharmakaya. The nirmanakaya, or emanation body, is the communication of awakened mind through form, in particular through being embodied in a human being (guru). Sambhogakaya, or enjoyment body, is the energy of compassion and communication that links the dharmakaya and the nirmanakaya. The dharmakaya, or body of dharma, is the aspect of realization beyond form or limit, time or space.
trilbu sunggi tamtsik (Tib.: dril bu gsung gi dam tshig). Samaya of vajra speech.
Tripitaka (Skt.; “three baskets”). The canon of Buddhist scriptures, consisting of three parts: Vinaya-pitaka, Sutra-pitaka, and Abhidharma-pitaka.
Trisong Detsen (Tib.: khri srong lde btsan; 790–844 CE). Eighth-century Tibetan king, the second of the three dharma kings of Tibet (Songtsen Gampo, Trisong Detsen, and Ralpachen), who played a pivotal role in the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet and the establishment of the Nyingma lineage.
trö (Tib.: drod). Warmth, heat.
trö-che (Tib.: spros bcas). Complex, with elaboration. A characteristic of the first through third abhishekas, which require practicing many visualizations.
trö-me (Tib.: spros med). Simple, without elaboration. A characteristic of the fourth, or formless, abhisheka.
trödral (Tib.: spros bral). Simplicity; without elaboration or complexity. The second of the four yogas of mahamudra. See also appendix 5, under The Four Yogas of Mahamudra / Naljor Shirim (chapter 57).
trülpa pangwa (Tib.: ’khrul pa spang ba). Abandoning confused activity.
Trung Ma-se (Tib.: drung rma se). A siddha said to be a reincarnation of Tilopa, he was a disciple of the fifth Karmapa, Teshin Shekpa (1384–1415 CE), and teacher of the first Trungpa.
trungpa (Tib.: drung pa; “one nearby”). An attendant.
tsakali (Tib.: tsa ka li). An icon; usually a miniature painting on card or cloth.
tsal (Tib.: rtsal). Energy, power; one of the characteristics of mind.
tsa-we lama (Tib.: rtsa ba’i bla ma). Root guru. Although a student may have more than one root guru, the ultimate root guru is the vajra master who points out the true nature of mind.
tsechik (Tib.: rtse gcig). One-pointedness; the first of the four yogas of mahamudra. See also appendix 5, The Four Yogas of Mahamudra / Naljor Shirim (chapter 57).
tsen-che (Tib.: mtshan bcas). The aspect of vajrayana practice emphasizing visualization and mantra recitation. See also utpattikrama.
tsen-me (Tib.: mtshan med). Unadorned experience; the upayoga understanding of purity. Also, formless practice.
tsogdrup (Tib.: tshogs sgrub). See mandala nopika.
tsokchog gi kyilkhor (Tib.: tshogs mchog gi dkyil ’khor). Mandala of the vajra sangha, or superior gathering; one of eight types of mandala in the mahayoga tantra. See also appendix 5, under The Eight Mandalas of Mahayoga (chapter 60).
tsokkyi khorlo (Tib.: tshogs kyi ’khor lo; Skt.: ganachakra). See ganachakra.
Tsurphu (Tib.: mtshur phu). The monastic seat of the Karmapas in south Central Tibet.
tülku (Tib.: sprul sku; Skt.: nirmanakaya). Emanation body; a term used for a person who is recognized as the reincarnation of a previously deceased enlightened being.
two truths (Tib.: denpa nyi; bdenpa gnyis). The relative truth (kündzop) and ultimate truth (töndam).
twofold ego (Tib.: dag-nyi; bdag gnyis). The ego of self, or individuality, and the ego of dharmas, or phenomena.
twofold egolessness (Tib.: dagmepa nyi; bdag med pa gnyis). The egolessness of self and the egolessness of phenomena.
Uddiyana (Skt.). The birthplace of Padmasambhava and the land where Tilopa went to steal the teachings of the dakinis. Regarded as the realm of the dakinis, some say it is located in the Swat Valley on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
uk tang tral-we sang-gye (Tib.: dbugs dang bral ba’i sangs rgyas). “Buddha without breath”; second of five vajrayana sayings regarding transcending habitual patterns. See also appendix 5, under Five Vajrayana Sayings (chapter 16).
uma (Tib.: dbu ma). See avadhuti.
upaya (Skt.; Tib.: thap; thabs). Skillful means, method. In the vajrayana, upaya arises from shunyata. Being joined with prajna, it represents the masculine, or form, aspect of the union of form and emptiness.
upayoga (Skt.; Tib.: chögyü; spyod rgyud). The yoga of conduct. In the nine-yana system, the second of the three lower tantric yanas. See also appendix 5, under The Nine Yanas (chapter 40).
upayogayana (Skt.). The path of upayoga.
utpattikrama (Skt.; Tib.: kyerim; bskyed rim). The creation stage of vajrayana practice, which emphasizes visualization and mantra recitation.
vac (Skt.; Tib.: dra, sgra). Pure voice; cosmic sound.
Vairochana (Skt.; Tib.: nampar nangdze; rnam par snang mdzad). Tathagata of the buddha family. In the secret language of tantra, a name for excrement, one of the five ingredients that are transformed from poison into amrita. See
also appendix 5, Five Ingredients Used to Create Amrita (chapter 61).
vajra (Skt.; Tib.: dorje; rdo rje). Adamantine, indestructible, diamond-like. In Hinduism, the vajra is Indra’s thunderbolt, or magical weapon. In Buddhism, it is a quality of tantric realization and of the true nature of reality, or emptiness. Vajra also refers to a ritual scepter used in tantric practice. In terms of the mandala of the five buddha-families, vajra is the family of pristine clarity, the family associated with the East, the buddha Akshobhya or Vajrasattva, the klesha of anger, and mirrorlike wisdom. See also appendix 5, under The Five Buddha-Families (chapter 26).
vajra naraka (Skt.; Tib.: dorje nyalwa; rdo rje dmyal ba). Vajra hell. A state in which one’s mind is so completely consumed by kleshas that there is no possibility of escape; the polar opposite of enlightenment.
vajra nature (Tib.: dorje kham; rdo rje khams). Indestructible being. Indestructible self-existing sacredness and sanity of phenomena and of one’s basic existence, manifesting through vajra body, vajra speech, and vajra mind.
vajra sangha. The community of vajrayana practitioners.
vajracharya (Skt.; Tib.: dorje loppön; rdo rje slob dpon). Vajra master. An empowered teacher.
Vajradhara (Skt.; Tib.: Dorje Chang; rdo rje ’chang; “vajra holder”). In the Kagyü tradition, Vajradhara is the dharmakaya, or primordial, buddha. Traditionally depicted as dark blue in color with crossed arms holding a bell and vajra, he is a symbol of enlightenment itself and of one’s root guru. Vajradhara is particularly important to the Kagyü tradition, as Tilopa is said to have received the vajrayana teachings directly from him.
vajradhatu (Skt.). Indestructible space.
Vajrakilaya (Skt.; Tib.: Dorje Phurba; rdo rje phur ba; “indestructible dagger”). A principal yidam of the Nyingma tradition, belonging to the karma family. He is depicted as dark blue or black in color and very wrathful. The fifth logos of mahayoga tantra, connected with penetrating through confusion and the fierce destruction of ego. See also appendix 5, The Eight Logos / Druppa Kagye (chapter 61).
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