ideas ~ metaxu buddhism

ahimsa ajnana amrita anatta anicca arhat arya Aryan Ashtapatha atiyana atman attachment Auspicious Symbols avatar avidya bardo Bhadrakalpa bhakti bhava bhava cakra bhumisparsha bija-mantra bodhi Bodhicitta Bon Buddha-dharma Buddha-mandala Buddha-sasana buddhi Buddhism Cause of suffering cessation chakra chakravala chela chetana chos cintamani compassion cycle darshan death Deity Yoga delusion dependent arising desire deva dharani dharma dharmachakra dharmakaya dhyana dhyanaloka dhyanamudra dosha düdsi dukkha dzog chen eight-fold path enlightenment emptiness evil Five Precepts Five Spiritual Faculties Four Noble Truths gelukpa greater vehicle guru dakshina happiness heaven Hinayana Hinduism illusion Individual Vehicle Jataka Jataka Tales jati jhana jiva jivatma jnana jnana-mudra ka Kagyupa Kalachakra kalpa kama kamadhatu kamala kamma karma Karma-ka-gyu karuna katak kaya kripa kuten lam rim Lesser Vehicle lhagthong lingkhor lobha lo-jong lokhor Madhyapatha mahakaruna mahaprajna mahayana mandala mani mantra maya meditation metaxu metta metteya mind moha moksha Monlam moksha mudita mudra mukta-kachha nadi nidana Nirmanakaya nirodha nirvana nivritti Northern Schools nyaya Nyingmapa obstacle om om mani padme hum padma padme paljor pancendriya Pancha Sila paramatman paramita paranirvana path patha perfection pradhana prajna prana Pratyeka Buddha Pratimoksha puja rabjung ratna rebirth reincarnation rinpoche rupa saddha Sakyapa samadhi Sambhogakaya sampai le samsara samudaya sangha sanjna sankhya sannyasin sanskara sanyasa sara sat satori schools sects seed syllable sempai le shakti shaman shila shramana shunyata siddhu sipakhorlo six-pointed star soul Southern Schools sparsha suffering sukha sukhavati sutantra sutra tanha tantra tantrayana tashi teaching thamzing Theravada Three Jewels Tibetan Buddhism time torgya trikaya Triple Body triratna trishna tum-mo tushita Universal Vehicle upadana upasaka upavastha upekkha ushnisha vajra vehicle vihara vijnana vinaya violence vipassana wheel Wheel of Dharma Wheel of Life wisdom yabyum yajamana yantra year Zen

ahimsa Eng. not harming	Skt.	"not harming"	Not hurting, not harming; gentleness towards all living beings. [ ref ]
ajnana Eng. ignorance	Skt.	"not-knowledge"	Ignorance is the cause of suffering.
amrita	Skt.		"Ambrosia, food of the gods; the Elixir of Immortality; also a metaphor for spiritual healing." [ ref ]
anatta	Skt.	"soul-less"	Also anatman. Without atman. In Buddhism, the ideal condition of extinction. [ ref ]
anicca	Skt.		impermanence
arhat arahat	Skt.		A bikkhu who has reached enlightenment. [ ref ]
arya	Skt.	noble	1) (First syllable long) In Buddhism, a saint or holy person, one who controls all his desires. 2) An Aryan 3) (Last syllable long) "The noble goddess": Devi, Durga. [ ref ]
Aryan	Skt.	"noble"	A person speaking an Aryan (Indo-Iranian) language. This group of languages includes old and modern Persian, Kurdish, Ossetic, Pashto, Beluchi, and Scythian, as well as the languages more closely related to Sanskrit: Assamese, Bengali, Bihari, Cutchi, Gujerati, Hindi, Kashmikri, Magadhi, Sinhalese (on Sri Lanka) and Urdu. In the Veda, Arya is the name by which the authors refer to themselves and their own people. The other people in India are called Dasyu. [ ref ] The Aryan people probably migrated into India around 5000-3000 BC [ ref ]
Ashtapatha Eng. eight-fold path	Skt.	"eight path"	The Eight-fold Path. [ ref ]
Atiyana	Skt.	"ultimate way"	"The last and highest vehicle of spiritual instruction." [ ref ]
atman Eng. spirit (sort of)	Skt.	"breath"; "soul", "spirit"	Originally this word meant "breath", then, in the sense of "last breath", its meaning develops into "spirit". Yet the concept of an individual spirit or soul is curiously underdeveloped in Hinduism if one compares its evolution in Christian thinking. From a Western point of view, on the other hand, the abstract concept of atman is very difficult to grasp, precisely because it is not limited to an individual soul or spirit. Atman is our innermost self, so deeply hidden inside our minds that most people never even discover it. The sages, however, (Plato's "philosphers") recognize in the innermost nucleus of their psyche that which is identical with the divine world-soul, the cosmic all-soul out of which all moving life and thinking perceptionj emanates, the Universal conscousness, atman. "Tat tvam asi: that is you." This is the famous phrase containing the essence of Hinduism, which is the philosophy of self-identification. Not what distinguishes me from other beings, but that which unifies me with the Essence of Life of the Universe itself, that is me, that is my own essence, the element of all the elements, out of which the entire creation grew like a tree growing out of a seed, the seed containing the essence. Atman thus means "world-spirit, the limitless ocean of the soul-universe," as well as "individual soul, my own spirit". Whoever can think through these two absolutely contradictory concepts and see them as one, that person has begun to grasp the essence of Hinduism. [ ref ] In some teachings of Buddhism, there are five atmans: Atman - 'sight', Niratman - 'hearing', Antaratman - 'breath', Paratman - 'voice', Chetanatman - 'consciousness', which gives unity to the whole. [ ref ]
attachment Skt. upadana	Eng.		xxx
Auspicious Symbols	Eng.		The Tibetan Eight Auspicious Symbols: Precious parasol Banner of victory (wisdom over ignorance) White conch shell Two golden fishes (eye, yin/yang) (liberation from the wheel of life), Vase of great treasures (three jewels) Knot of eternity (harmony and love) Eight-spoked golden wheel (wheel of dharma) - noble eightfold path Lotus flower - (Sakyamuni's purity and compassion - Blossoming of good deeds)
avatar	Skt.	"descent"	The divine spirit as descending from heaven to earth, and taking up its abode in a human body or other material form. [ ref ]
avidya Eng. ignorance	Skt.	ignorance	Ignorance, the main cause of suffering, the first nidana. [ ref ]
bardo	Tib.		The state between death and rebirth. [ ref ]
Bhadrakalpa	Skt.		"We believe that during the present Kalpa the incarnation of a thousand supreme Buddhas will take place in this world." [ ref ]
bhakti Eng. love	Skt.	"devotion, dedication, love"	Of the devotee to the spirit, and of the spirit to the devotee. [ ref ]
bhava	Skt.	"becoming"	Existence. The next existence to which one will be reborn. Part of samsara to which all human beings are chained.
bhava cakra	Tib.	wheel of becoming	The Wheel of Life or Wheel of Becoming See also dharmachakra, samsara.
bhumisparsha	Skt.	earth ...	The mudra in which the right hand is turned with the palm towards the spectator, touching the ground below the right knee. The Buddha is often sculptured in this mudra position, which represents the moment when he called the earth to witness (sparsha) that he had never interrupted his severe asceticism and was never seduced. [ ref ]
bija-mantra	Skt.	"seed-syllable"	"In the Tantrist tradition, the followers have to repeat certain mantras, formulas which contain compressed magic power. bija ("seed-pearl") mantras are single syllables, each of which represents a god or goddess, is the deity." [ ref ]
bodhi Eng. enlightenment	Skt.	"awakening, truth"	Enlightenment. The ultimate goal in life for every Buddhist. Bodhi comes only to those who have mastered all their thoughts, suppressed their fantasies and who control all their desires so that they are never jealous, disappointed or angry. Bodhi is the insight that human life is only suffering. [ ref ]
Bodhicitta	Skt.	"awakening mind"	Good heart, altruism
Bon	Tib.		Also, Bön. Shamanistic religion of Tibet predating Buddhism.
Buddha-dharma bodhi-dharma	Skt.	"the awakened one law"	The teachings of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path, by which one may find release from samsara.
Buddha-mandala	Skt.	"the awakened one circle"	A mandala representing various levels and aspects inherent in Buddhahood. [ ref ]
Buddha-sasana	Skt.	"the awakened one teachings"	The teachings of the Buddha, the Buddha-dharma or Bodhi-dharma.
buddhi	Skt.	"comprehension"; same root as Buddha	to know: "the immediate apprehension by the mind without reasoning." Intelligence, comprehension, which makes bodhi, enlightenment, possible. [ ref ]
Buddhism Tib. chos	Eng.		"Believe that all beings are reborn, and strive, through a series of lives, towards the perfection of Buddhahood." [ ref ] Gautauma Buddha's "teaching differs from that of other Buddhas; while most of them preached only on Sutra (doctrinal treatises), he preached also on Tantras (instructions on spiritual method)." [ ref ] The two supporting pillars of Buddhism are the teachings of wisdom and compassion Differs from other major world spiritual traditions in that it is non-theistic. Main schools: Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana.
Cause of suffering	Eng.		The second of the Four Noble Truths "The true causes of suffering are Karma and delusion." -- XIV Dalai Lama [ ref ] The cause of suffering is also called desire (samudaya).
cessation Skt. nirodha	Eng.		nirodha - there is a way to cessation of suffering, the third of the Four Noble Truths
chakra cakra Eng. wheel Tib. khorlo	Skt.	"wheel"	Energy centers of the body. "where the nadis meet like the spokes in the nave of the chariot wheel." [Munduha Upanishad] "Given by Shiva to Vishnu as a weapon to destroy the demons. Vishnu throws it in such a way that it emits sparks while rotating. It never misses its mark." [ ref ] Also, cakra
chakravala cakravala	Skt.	"circular enclosure"	"The Buddhist universe divided into three sections: the 136 hells below, the 26 heavens above, and in between the worlds of the animals, ghosts, demons, and people. The center is Mount Meru." [ ref ]
chela Eng. student	Skt.	"student"	Student, especially of a guru.
chetana	Skt.	"consciousness"	Consciousness. "In Buddhism this is the source of indivudalism, and so, of samudaya (desire) which leads to sin, because desires never stop luring." [ ref ]
chos Skt. dharma Eng. teaching (sort of)	Tib.	"to hold"	dharma
cintamani	Skt.	"thought magnet", "thought(?) jewel"	A jewel (ratna) for learning the art of concentration. Represented with the Dhayni-Buddha Ratnasambhava
compassion Tib. karuna Skt. kripa	Eng.		One of the two pillars of buddhism
cycle Skt. chakra	Eng.		See wheel
darshan darsana, darshana Eng. teaching	Skt.	"teaching"	Teaching. An audience with a lama or geshe.
death	Eng.		See delusion, reincarnation, nirvana.
Deity Yoga	Eng.		Form of meditation in which practitioner visualizes self as a deity.
delusion	Eng.		One of the two causes of suffering "Not a part of the essential or central mind, which is intrinsically pure: it is a defect of one of the peripheral or secondary minds." [ ref ] Many kinds of delusion: passion, anger, pride, hatred, hostility, etc. Passion and hostility are the main delusions; both are attachment. "... all cognizable things are empty by their very nature, but through delusion they appear as self-originating and as self-sufficing entities. Conversely, this distorted concept is at the root of all delusions." [ ref ]
dependent arising dependent origination, conditioned co-production	Eng.		The interrelatedness of all things. Nothing arises of itself; all things are dependent upon the other.
desire Skt. samudaya Skt. trishna Skt. kama	Eng.		The cause of suffering,
deva Eng. deity	Skt.	"deity"	deity
dharani	Skt.		" ... means for fixing the mind upon an idea, a vision or an experience gained in meditation. They may represent the quintessence of a teaching as well as the experience of a certain state of conscousness, which hereby can be recalled or recreated deliberately at any time. Therefore they are also called supporters, receptacles or bearers of wisdom (vidyadhara). They are not different from mantras in their function but to some extent in their form, in so far as they may attain a considerable length and sometimes represent a combination of many mantras or 'seed-syllables' (bija-mantras), or the quintessence of a sacred text. They were a product as well as a means of meditation: 'through deep absorption (samadhi) one gains a truth, through a dharani one fixes and retains it." [ ref ]
dharma Tib. chos Eng. teaching, law (sort of)	Skt.	"that which is right"	1) The teachings of the Buddha: Including the Four Noble Truths Second of the Three Jewels "All the objects of this world which have definable identities of their own are known as Dharmas. There is another meaning of Dharma, and this is: 'to hold back from impending disaster'. It is in this sense that Dharma can mean 'religion'; religion, that is to say, as opposed to secularism. Generally speaking, any noble activity of mind, body and speech denote Dharma or religion -- which can save or hold one back from disaster. One is considered to practice religion if one implements these activities." -- XIV Dalai Lama [ ref ] The Ultimate Reality. The Truth Quality, virtue, propriety, righteousness, the correct way of life. [ ref ] 2) As an abstract Sanskrit term, refers not only to a person's rights but foremost to his duties, which arise from the position in life and society into which he is born. Dharama cannot be changed. In this sense can be translated as "law". [ ref ] The teachings are contained in the tripitaka. "The religion founded by the Buddha, his Doctrine; the law or 'Norm' governing all existence; any particular entity, thing or being. The dharmas are the innumerable things composing the Universe." [ ref ] "The order of things, the cosmic system and absolute Truth. In plural form, written without a capital letter, dharmas are the phenomena ordered by this law." [ ref ]
dharmachakra	Skt.	"destiny wheel"	The Wheel of Destiny, to which all humans are chained by their own desire (trishna). mudra of the Dhyani-Buddhas Vairocana and Maitreya, signifying the never-ending cycle of suffering cause by ever-returning births and deaths, which is in turn caused by samudaya (desire). [ ref ] See also bhava cakra, samsara.
Dharmakaya	Skt.	"righteous body"	"One of the three aspects of the Buddha's cosmic body (kaya), which is the ultimate, universal reality. Literally 'the Body of the Law', the substance of the Law, which is Buddha himself, being pure Truth. This substance has no shape, so that it is not in any place, nor is there a place where it is not. It neither comes nor does it go anywere." [ ref ] "The 'Body of Quiddity' or 'Essential Body' of all the Buddhas; the 'Body of the Norm'; the inexpresible reality underlying everything." [ ref ]
dhyana Eng. meditation Jap. zen Ch. ch'an	Skt.	"insight", "meditation"	"Meditation, religious contemplation. Dhyana-yoga, complete absorption in thought, exercises in concentration (samadhi). Dhyana, a Sanskrit word from the verb dhyai, 'to think, reflect', is the origin of the Japanese word Zen, via Chinese ch'an 'deep meditation, Buddhism'. [ ref ]
dhyanaloka	Skt.	"meditation place"	"One of ten heavens where Buddhists enjoy eternal meditation." [ ref ]
dhyanamudra	Skt.	"meditation hand-position"	"A position of sitting in which the palms are turned upwards, the right hand is placed on the left hand and both are resting relaxed in the meditator's lap, ready to receive bodhi (enlightenment). This is the mudra signifying yoga or dhyana, a state of concentration [ ref ]
dosha	Skt.	"hatred"	Hatred. Caused by trishna (desire).
düdsi Skt. amrita	Tib.		amrita.
dukkha Eng. suffering	Skt.	"suffering"	Suffering. Discomfort, unsatisfactoriness. That "all is suffering" is the first of the Four Noble Truths
dzog chen Jap. zen Ch. ch'an	Tib.		A Tibetan form of Chan (Zen) Buddhism with methods of rapid enlightenment.
Eight-fold Path Skt. ashtapatha Skt. madhyapatha	Eng.		In Buddhism, the path by which one may reach moksha (liberation) from samsara. It consists of: Right Views, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Recollection, Right Meditation. [ ref ]
enlightenment Skt. bodhi	Eng.		bodhi
emptiness Skt. shunyata	Eng.		shunyata
evil	Eng.
Five Precepts	Eng.		Part of the Buddha-dharma by which one may attain moksha (liberation). Right living by refraining from: injuring living things. taking that which is not given. all forms of kama (sexual desire). all falsehood, in word and deed. wordly enjoyments: drugs, drink, sloth. The Pancha Sila.
Five Spiritual Faculties	Eng.		pancendriya
Four Noble Truths	Eng.		The dharma: dukkha - Life is suffering. samudaya (moksha, klesha) - The cause of suffering is desire. nirodha - There is a way to cessation of suffering. magga - The Path is the way. "Lord Buddha said: 'This is true suffering; this is true cause; this is true cessation; this is the true path.' He also said: 'Know the sufferings; give up their causes; attain the cessation of sufferings; follow the true paths.' Again, he said: 'Know the sufferings although there is nothing to know; relinquish the causes of misery although there is nothing to relinquish; be earnest in cessation although there is nothing to cease; practise the means of cessation although there is nothing to practice.' ... According to trhe Madhyamika theory (originally taught by Nagarjuna, ... a theory which remains supreme among all the theories of different Buddhist schools, the explanation of these Truths is this: True suffering means Samsara (the entire round of existence, of birth and rebirth ) arising from Karma (that is, action and reaction) and from delusion. True cause means karma and delusion, which are the causes of true suffering. True cessation means the complete disappearance by degrees of the preceding two truths. The true path is the method by which we arrive at true cessation." -- XIV Dalai Lama [ ref ]
Gelukpa	Tib.	"the virtuous"	Tibetan Buddhist sect headed by the Dalai Lama. The Karmapa Lama also belongs to this school. "The latest of the four schools ... founded early in the fifteenth century by Lobsang Tragpa (Tsongkhapa) ... In this school great emphasis is laid on scriptural study and learning generally." [ ref ] [ ref ] Also, Geluk, Gelugpa.
Greater Vehicle	Eng.		Mahayana school of Buddhism. Also, Universal Vehicle See also, Lesser Vehicle.
guru dakshina	Skt.	"teacher offering"	An offering to one's spiritual teacher.
happiness Skt. sukha	Eng.		satisfactoriness, sukha
heaven	Eng.		Buddhism has many heavens, but they are not to be thought of as final resting places, but as symbols. Some of the heavens are dhyanaloka and tushita.
Hinayana	Skt.?	"lesser way"	The Personal Vehicle; the Lesser Vehicle; also, the Individual Vehicle; contrasted with Mahayana, the Greater or Universal Vehicle. Corresponds to the preliminary stages of the spiritual Way. [ ref ] Main goal is to reach enlightenment and become an arhat. "seek to attain nirvana for the individual's own sake. ... the mind should be trained to exercise a strong will in order to renounce Samsara: it should pursue religious ethics (Shila), and simultaneously practice concentration (Samadhi) and meditation ( Vipassana: Tibetan - Lhagthong ), so that delusion and the seeds of delusion may be purged, and may not grow again. Thus Nirvana is attained. The paths to be followed including the Paths of Preparation, Application, Seeing, Practice and Fulfillment." -- XIV Dalai Lama [ ref ] One school of Hinayana is Theravada. (This particular terminology belongs to the Northern schools of Buddhism; the Southern schools do not use these terms). [ ref ]
Hinduism	Eng.		Religion of India.
illusion Skt. maya	Eng.		maya.
Individual Vehicle	Eng.		The Lesser Vehicle, or Hinayana Buddhism.
Jataka	Skt.	birth, incarnation	A previous incarnation of the Buddha; part of the history of his previous lives as a bodhisattva. A legend about one of those lives. (Chadanta, Hare, Mahasattva, Yasapani, [ ref ]
Jataka Tales	Eng.		Stories of the Buddha's lives in previous incarnations.
jati	Skt.	"birth"	Birth. Part of samsara to which all human beings are chained.
jhana	Skt.		dhyana
jiva	Skt.		Life, the soul of a person, his principle of life. [ ref ]
jivatama	Skt.		The animating soul, the immaterial part of a person. [ ref ]
jnana	Skt.	"knowledge, insight"	"the most desirable acquisition in both Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. Without it there is only ignorance, ajnana, the cause of suffering and evil. Only knowledge enables us to follow the correct path. [ ref ]
jnana-mudra	Skt.	"knowledge-hand-position"	The buddha is often shown with this mudra, the "sign of insight": holding up his hand with the thumb touching the tip of the middle or index finger, forming a circle, signifying all round knowledge of the three worlds. [ ref ]
ka	Skt.		"This meditation-syllable represents for some the creator, the unknown God who created Existence itself and all the gods after him. He or she is identified with Hiranyagarbha and later with Prajapati-Brahma; she may also be the Goddess." [ ref ]
Kagyupa	Tib.	"oral tradition"	School of Tibetan Buddhism, founded about 1079 CE on the teachings of Marpa the Translator, whose teachings were passed on to his famous disciple, Milarepa [ ref ] The leader of this school is the Karmapa Lama (?), or Gyalwa Karmapa. One of its teachers is the Trungpa Tulku All monks of this school are given the first name Karma after the founder of the school. Also called Karma-ka-gyu, Kagyud.
Kalachakra	Skt.	"wheel of time", "wheel of seasons"	Tantric teachings about the cycles of time.
kalpa	Skt.		Aeon, period of history. The present kalpa is the Bhadrakalpa. "A day of the god Brahma, equalling four billion human years. According to Buddha, when a piece of cloth has rubbed away a rock 16 miles high, long, and broad, one second of Kalpa is past." [ ref ]
kama	Skt.	"passion"	trishna, (samudaya, desire). Passion, such as a man might feel for a woman as an object of lust. Caused by trishna. Kama, the god of love In Buddhism, Kama is (sexual) desire, obstructing enlightenment. [ ref ]
kamadhatu	Skt.	"passion world"	"This low world of earthly desires which causes delusion." [ ref ]
kamala Tib. padme Eng. lotus	Skt.	"lotus flower"	padme The symbol of water, creation, self-creation. Brahma resides on a lotus flower when he creates the earth, Bhu, from the primal ocean. [ ref ]
karma Pali kamma	Skt.	"act, deed", in particular, "sacrifice"	One of the two causes of suffering "Karma has been defined as 'concordant action and reaction'. According to the higher schools of buddhism, Karma has two aspects, known in Tibetan as Sempai Le and Sampai Le. ... With regard to its results, there are three kinds of Karma. Meritorious Karma cause beings to take rebirth in the realms of gods, demi-gods, and men. Demeritorious Karma cause rebirth in the lower regions of animals, pretas, and hells. Finally, Achala Karma, Invariable Karma, cause beings to take rebirth in the upper worlds, Rupa and Arupa Dhatu, the worlds of the Form and the Formless. The effects of Karma may be experienced in this present life, or in the next life, or in subsequent lives. -- Dala Lama [ ref ] "Karma ... is conditioning and not fate. Buddhism suggests that we rid ourselves of this conditioning through the achievement of awareness and sensitivity, thereby behaving with full consciousness." [ ref ]
Karma-ka-gyu	Tib.		School of buddhism. Same as the Kagyu school? Led by the Karmapa Lama
karuna Skt. kripa Eng. compassion	Tib.	"compassion"	compassion "The knowledge that we are all part of the union of existence, and the resulting understanding of all living beings, leads to our wish to help them in their suffering." [ ref ] metta, karuna, mudita, upekkha. [ ref ] Personified as Avalokita and Avalokiteshvara
katak	Tib.		A white silk scarf used ceremonially.
kaya	Skt.	"body"	Bodies, or aspects, in which the Universal Buddha dwells in the cosmos as a living spirit, motivated by compassion for our suffering, full of complete knowledge and wisdom. There are three kayas: Dharmakaya, Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakaya. [ ref ]
kripa Eng. compassion Tib. karuna	Skt.	"pity, compassion"	karuna
kuten	Tib.	"physical basis",	The monk who is the medium for the Nechung oracle, Dorje Drakden The oracle was manifested in the present kuten, xxx, in 1987. He presently lives in Nechung Monastery at Gangchen Kyishong.
lam rim	Tib.	"graduated path"	Teachings leading to enlightenment.
Lesser Vehicle	Eng.		Hinayana Buddhism. Also, Individual Vehicle. See also, Greater Vehicle.
lhagthong Eng. meditation Skt. vipassana	Tib.		Vipassana, meditation
lingkhor	Tib.	"holy circuit"	A holy walk. A circumambulation path for pilgrims.
lobha	Skt.	"greed"	Greed. Another name for trishna (desire), the means by which human beings are chained to samsara.
lo-jong	Tib.	"mind training", "thought transformation"	Teachings of practices to change one's thinking and way of life. The Bodhicaryavatara by Santideva is the main source of these teachings. His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama received an oral transmission of this text from Kunu Lama Rinpoche, and follows this practice. [ ref ]
lokhor	Tib.	"year"	"The Tibetan year - begins with the new moon, a month or two before the Western spring. It consists of twelve lunar months with fluctuating days and months. According to Tibetan astrological calculations, some days in a month could be missed out or repeated, and sometimes in a year a whole month could be missed out or repeated." "Tibetan months do not have names but are designated by numbers. The seven days of the week are represented by by the sun, moon, and the five visible planets. In ancient Tibet, the calendar followed a 12-year cycle. In the eleventh century, a 60-year cycle named Rabjung was introduced. [ ref ] The Tibetan New Year is called Losar.
Madhyapatha	Skt.	"middle path"	The Middle Path, the Eightfold Path. "Follow neither the satisfaction of your cravings, nor extreme mortification. Lead a moral, well-ordered life."
mahakaruna	Skt.		great compassion - one of the two supporting pillars of Buddhism.
mahaprajna	Skt.	"great wisdom"	One of the two supporting pillars of Buddhism.
mahayana	Skt.	"greater vehicle", "The Great Way"	The Universal Vehicle. "Mahayanists aim at attaining the highest stage, of nirvana, Buddhahood, for the sake not only of the individual but all other sentient beings." "Began to flourish in northwest India (in what is now northwest Pakistan) just before the beginning of the Christian era." [ ref ] "The Mahayana books are all based on the Sanskrit tradition of Buddhism; many works now in use in China are known only in Chinese translation, the Sanskrit original having been lost." [ ref ] "The mutation of the original 'pure' Buddhism in China can partly be explained by the fundamental difference in structure between Sanskrit and Chinese. Sanskrit is composed of complex words which are strung together into long sentences with an advanced logical content. Chinese is composed of autonomous monosyllabic roots each of which contains endless reflections of semantic facets, which cannot well be understood without an older master. Thus Mahayana became the doctrine which has to be studied with a hierarchical superior, whereas the original Buddhism teaches spiritual independence." [ ref ] The Buddhism of Tibet is Mahayana.
mandala	Skt.	"pivot, axle"	A sacred diagram, used in visualizaton and meditation. The mountain used by the gods for the churning of the milk ocean when they created the universe. The mountain was the pole around which the snake Basuki was wound. [ ref ]
mani	Tib.		The earth, symbolized by a lotus. (bhu, padme). A jewel, the essence, a magic seed. [ ref ] Mani stones.
mantra	Skt.	"syllable" (?) "thinking-tool"	A verbal formula repeated as a form of meditation, e.g., om mani padme hum " ... the root man = 'to think' (in Greek 'menos', Latin 'mens') is combined with the element tra which forms tool-words. Thus mantra is a 'tool for thinking', a 'thing which creates a mental picture'. With its sounds it calls forth its content into a state of immediate reailty." [ ref ] Historically emphasized more in Mahayana than in Theravada Buddhism.
marga Pali. magga	Skt.	"way"	The path.
maya Eng. illusion	Skt.	"illusion"	The illusory images of this world. In the state of avidya (ignorance), we are entangled in these images and believe they are real. Also, the name of the mother of Gautama Buddha.
meditation Tib. lhagthong Skt. vipassana	Eng.		dhyana using samadhi.
metaxu	Greek	"intermediate"	Intermediate, in the middle. Not binary. A bridge, an intermediary. One of the epithets for Jemsa.
metta	Skt.	"loving-kindness"	Loving-kindness. As a result of his complete understanding of his fellow beings, the Buddhist regards them as his own kin whose suffering he knows. [ ref ] One of the four rules of metta, karuna, mudita, upekkha. [ ref ]
metteya	Pali	"loving-kindness"	Maitreya
mind	Eng.
moha	Skt.	"stupidity"	Stupidity. Ignorance, mental sloth, dullness, lethargy. A primitive state of mind. [ ref ] One of the causes of desire (trishna), along with ignorance (avidya).
moksha	Skt.	"deliverance"	Deliverance, liberation, through the Four Noble Truths.
Monlam	Tib.		Great Prayer Festival. "Takes place on the evening of the full moon of the first month of the Tibetan year (called lokhor). Commemorates the Buddha's victory over heretics at Sravasti. The great TsongKhapa introduced these festivities, which had been celebrated since the Earth Female Ox year of the seventh 60-year cycle (1409). [ ref ]
mudita	Skt.	"sympathetic joy"	compassion "Buddha said repeatedly: 'Let all beings be happy.' Gladness should be shared with all those who are in need of it. There should never be hatred or jealousy. Each of us can become a Buddha and approach our fellow beings with the mood of empathetic harmony that causes Buddhas to smile." [ ref ] One of the four rules of metta, karuna, mudita, upekkha. [ ref ]
mudra	Skt?		Hand position, expressing one of 27 philosophical conditions, some being dharmachakra, jnana (jnana-mudra), dhyana (dhyanamudra), and sparsha (bhumisparsha).
mukta-kachha	Skt?	"Liberated to the end"	A Buddhist who has achieved enlightenment. [ ref ]
nadi	Skt.?		Energy channel in the body.
nidana	Skt.	The twelve links of dependent arising (conditioned co-production).	Energy channel in the body.
Nirmanakaya	Skt.	"manifestation body"	"One of the three aspects of the Buddha's cosmic body (kaya), which is the ultimate, universal reality. [ ref ] The Manifestation-Body, i.e., the form in whcih the Buddha has shown himself to humanity, as human as possible, going through birth, old age, and death. All the time he is motivated by his compassion for humanity, hoping that people will learn from his example and by following him, will find enlightenment, and an end to pain. [ ref ]
nirvana Pali. nibbana	Skt.		"Extinction of desire; freedom from rebirth." [ ref ] "The state of neither being nor not being, that is, the state of being without opposites. As long as there are opposites, there are conflicts, there is a chain of action and reaction, and a man is the slave of karma." [ ref ] "the condition of the removal of opposites, ... As a result his consciousness has expanded to include all other conscious minds ... is thus in constant contact with the feeling-centres of all other beings on earth and elsewhere. The result is perfect compasson with all other beings, the effect of a total understanding of each of them." [ ref ] "Samsara, in another sense, implies a bondage. Nirvana implies a liberation from this bondage: the true cessation, the third of the Noble Truths. ... If the roots of delusion are thoroughly extracted, if creation of new Karma to cause rebirth in the circle of Samsara is brought to an end, if there are no more delusions to fertilize the Karma persisting from the past, then the continual rebirth of the suffering being will cease. Such a being, however, will not cease to exist. It has always existed in a body with a mortal residue. a body born because of prevous Karma and delusion. But after the cessation of rebirth, after the liberation from Samsara and the achievement of Nirvana, it will continue to have consciousness and a spiritual body free of delusion. This is the meaning of the true cessation of suffering." [ ref ] "Nirvana can indicate a lower stage, in which there is simply no suffering, and also it can mean the highest stage, called Buddhahood. This is the stage of supreme Enlightenment, total and unqualified, free from all moral and mental defilement, and from the defilement caused by the power of discriminative thoughts." -- XIV Dalai Lama [ ref ]
nivritti	Skt.		"In Tantrism, the yearning for peace and withdrawal from the world." [ ref ]
Northern Schools	Eng.		The schools of Buddhism of China, Japan, and Tibet, which use the terminology of Mahayana and Hinayana. [ ref ]
nyaya	Skt.	"philosophy", "logic", "reason"	Fitting behavior, the proper way of achieving one's goal, the right method to arrive at a conclusion. [ ref ]
Nyingmapa nyima, nyingma	Tib.	"School of the Ancients"	Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Established in the eighth century. Groups together the earliest teachings introduced in Tibet by Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche. [ ref ]
obstacle	Eng.		There are five obstacles to enlightenment in Buddhism: lust and desire; ill will, anger; sloth, inertia; excitedness, worry; and doubt, wavering [ ref ]
om		om	A U M
om mani padme hum	Tib.	om jewel lotus hum	"The Jewel in the Lotus" "The Jewel of Creation in the Lotus" The union of wisdom and action or method. jewel = thought of enlightenment, dharma, wisdom. lotus = mind, world, action. The mantra of Avalokiteshvara
padme padma Eng. lotus Skt. kamala	Tib.	"lotus"	Mind. Also, the world. kamala. Divine purity - The lotus grows out of the mud, but floats on the water and is not defiled. "Symbol of Divinity when used as a 'pedestal' by the gods. Signifies the soul rising out of the darkness of ignorance towards the light of knowledge, to rest serenely on the surface of the water." [ ref ] Symbol of Maitreya.
paljor	Tib.	"glory"	glory
pancendriya	Skt.		Five Spiritual Faculties: sraddha (faith) virya (vigour) smrti (mindfulness) samadhi (concentration) prajna (wisdom) Full development of the pancendriya makes one an arhat.
Pancha Sila	Skt.	"five precepts"	The Five Precepts of Buddha-Dharma
paramatman	Skt.	"highest spirit"	"The Supreme Soul of the Universe which pervades all space, unseen but conscious, knowing, understanding." [ ref ] "the primal spirit out of which all spiritual beings, gods and men, have been developed and into which they will merge ... " [ ref ]
paramita Eng. perfection	Skt.	"highest ideal"	One of 12 Buddhist goddesses: Dana 'charity', Shila 'good conduct', Kahanti 'patience', Prajna 'foresight', Ratna 'excellence', Virya 'strength of character', Dhyana 'reflection', Upaya 'learning', Pranidhana 'effort', Bala 'power', Vajrakarma 'perseverance', Jnana 'knowledge'. Virtue, perfection.
paranirvana	Skt.	"beyond nirvana"	Conscious transition to nirvana, especially the death of the Gautama Buddha.
path	Eng.		The way to cessation of suffering, the fourth of the Four Noble Truths "to attain either of the states of Nirvana ... Hinayana and Mahayana represent two schools of thought by which we discern this path." -- XIV Dalai Lama [ ref ] Also, marga, magga, patha.
patha Eng. path	Skt.	"path"	The path
perfection	Eng.		The qualities of perfect character: generosity, moral conduct, patience, fortitude, dhyana (meditation), and prajna (wisdom).
pradhana	Skt.	"matter"	Matter, as opposed to spirit; nature.
prakriti	Skt.	"matter"	Nature. Matter. The female principle.
prajna Eng. wisdom	Skt.	"wisdom"	The vidyadhara are receptacles or bearers of wisdom. "Wisdom ... is the stable essence of the Universe, ... Compassion ... is Wisdom in operation throughout countless world systems." [ ref ]
prana Eng. breath	Skt.	"breath"	The first thing in life, the last in death. Controlling the breath is an important stage in learning meditation.
Pratyeka Buddha	Skt.		An individual Buddha, as opposed to a universal Buddha.
Pratimoksha	Skt.		The rules of the monastery.
puja	Skt.		Practical worship. [ ref ]
preta	Skt.		Spirit of a dead person.
purohita	Skt.	chief priest	Chief Priest.
Rabjung	Tib.		"In ancient Tibet, the calendar followed a 12-year cycle. Each year was associated with an animal: horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog, pig, mouse, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, and snake. In the eleventh century, a 60-year cycle named Rabjung was introduced. combining the animal names with the five elements: wood, fire, earth, iron, and water. In this system, each element was combined twice with the same animal. In order to differentiate the two years bearing the same name, the first was called 'male' and the second 'female'. This cycle began in 1027. A year is called a Lokhor." [ ref ] "Day and night are divided into two-hour periods, designated by the twelve animals as follows: daybreak/hare; sunrise/dragon; morning/snake; noon/horse; afternoon/sheep; evening/monkey; sunset/bird; dusk/dog; early night/pig; midnight/mouse; late night/ox; dawn/tiger." [ ref ]
ratna	Skt.	"excellence", "jewel"	Many jewels (precious objects) appeared when the gods churned the ocean with the pivot at creation. Also a sign of a holy person, object, or place is that it is covered with jewels or excellence. One of the Three Precious Jewels. One of the twelve goddesses.
rebirth	Eng.		reincarnation
reincarnation	Eng.		The philosophy that one has many lives. "While we remain more or less enmeshed in a selfhood regarded as our own, past and future lives are continually being produced by those forces which still bind us to worldly existence." [ ref ] An enlightened being is reborn as a tulku, or bodhisattva. "The idea of reincarnation is part of the Buddhist philosophical framework. It is not part of the Buddha's teachings, but is considered by all Asians, whatever their donomination, to be a natural phenomenon. The Buddha taught that the 'ego' or 'soul' does not transmigrate. A life becomes the result of a previous one through a kind of kinetic energy. Any individual who has reached a high level of spiritual develoment is supposed to be able to direct this energy in a special way at the time of his death, so that it gives birth to a tulku - a reincarnated lama." [ ref ]
rinpoche Mong. gegeen, huhuktu Tib. tulku	Tib.	precious one	Honorary term for a qualified and enlighted Tibetan teacher or spiritual master (geshe). Often used for tulkus, or reincarnates.
rupa	Skt.	"form"	Form. Outward shape. Represented by the Dhyani-Buddha Vairocana. The image of a Buddha.
saddha Eng. faith	Skt.? Pali?	faith	"the positive attitude of our mind and our whole being, without which no spiritual progress can be attained." "inner readiness nd open-mindedness" [ ref ]
Sakyapa	Tib.		The Sakyapa lineage, one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Named after the Sakya monastery in western Tibet it originaed from. Founded by Khion Konchog Gyalpo in the eleventh century. [ ref ] "Sakya" also was the kingdom in which Gautama Buddha was born, and of which he was prince. (Also called Sakya.)
samadhi	Skt.	"concentration"	Concentration; absorption; meditation. One of the pursuits of the mind in following the Path May use a mantra, or other techniques for meditation.
samana	Skt.		A Buddhist ascetic.
Sambhogakaya	Skt.		"One of the three aspects of the Buddha's cosmic body (kaya), which is the ultimate, universal reality. In this body, wisdom and compassion have become one spirit. [ ref ]
sampai le	Tib.		"Sampai Le is the manifest stage of karma in which physical and oral actions occur." -- XIV Dala Lama [ ref ] Also see sempai le.
samsara Eng. wheel	Skt.	"chain" sara - essence	The whole round of existence, of jati (birth), bhava (existence), and upadana (attachedness). The never-ending chain of dukkha (suffering). moksha (liberation) from samsara can be reached through the Buddha Dharma "To Samsara belongs everything which proceeds from a chain of other causes and which is thus involved in Karma and delusion. ... Spatially, Samsara is divided into three worlds: the World of the Senses, the World of Form and the World of the Formless. ... Samsara may also be divided according to the nature of the beings it contains, and by this system there are six divisions ... -- XIV Dalai Lama [ ref ] See also bhava cakra, dharmachakra.
samudaya	Skt.? Pali?		trishna, kama (desire) - the cause of suffering, the second of the Four Noble Truths
sangha	Skt.?	"society"	The order of Buddhist monks founded by the Buddha. The community of Buddhist practitioners. The third of the Three Jewels
sanjna	Skt.	"conscience"	Insight, self-knowlege, which leads to compassion. Represented by the Amitabha Buddha, oldest of the Dhyani-Buddhas.
sankhya	Skt.		A philosophical system
sannyasin	Skt.	"renunciate"	Someone who has renounced the world and gone off to meditate.
sanskara	Skt.	"composition, synthesis"	This may refer to a work of art; we speak of a musical composition, or a literary composition. it can also mean "decoration", when referring to visual art. Sanskara thus also means "refinement", since art requires the composition of the best of everything. Hence the word Sanskrit, literally "refined synthesis", the exquisite language of philosophy, consciously selected and composed by scholars from the best elements of the Aryan dialects. For a human being, samskara means "educaiton, refinement, erudition", since that is the decoration of the soul, making a gross mind into a spirtual work of art, the highest intellectual achievement. Represented by the Dhyani-Buddha Amoghasiddhi. [ ref ]
sanyasa sannyasa	Skt.	"abandonment"	Renunciation of the world. Someone who practices sanyasa is a sannyasin.
sara	Skt.	"essence"	Essential part of a person; their soul, strength, worth. [ ref ]
sat	Skt.		The essence of Brahma, which is the same as the essence of Vishnu. Was never born, nor will it die.
satori	Jap.		The state of highest perception, achieved in meditation or as a sudden realization.
sects	Eng.		schools of Buddhism.
seed syllable	Eng.		"Each Buddha is associated with a particular Sanksrit letter or syllable that is a condensed form of the mantra connected with this Buddha. When visualizing a Buddha, one begins by visualizing such a syllable, which then melts into light and transforms itself into the Buddha — hence the term 'seed syllable'." [ ref p.13 ]
schools	Eng.		Nyingma, Kagyud, Sakya, Geluk "Each of the schools adheres to all the teachings of Hinayana Mahayana, including Tantrayana, for Tibetan Buddhists do not separate these teachings, but pay equal respect to them all. For moral guidance, they conform to the Vinaya rules which are principally followed by Hinayanists, while for more esoteric practices, of every degree of profundity, they use the methods of the Mathayana (mahayana?) and Tantrayana schools." [ ref ] "All schools recognize the Dalai Lama as the temporal and spiritual leader of all Tibetans." [ ref ]
sempai le	Tib.		"Sempai Le is the latent stage of Karma in which physical action is yet to take shape; the state where the impulse to act is subconsicous." -- Dala Lama [ ref ] Also see sampai le.
shakti	Skt.		Female energy principle. Related to the goddess Shakti.
shaman	?
shila	Skt.	Vinaya	Religious ethics, the principles of morality; one of the pursuits of the mind in following the Path
shramana	Skt.	"one who makes an effort"	An ascetic; in china, a Buddhist missionary. It is the origin of the word shaman, a seer. [ ref ]
shunyata sunyatta, sunyata Pali sunnata Eng. emptiness	Skt.	"emptiness", voidness, "open space"	The non-existence of an ultimate self-nature. "the state of unqualified emptiness". [ ref ] To be realized through dhyani (meditation) so that bodhi (enlightenment) may be achieved. Tibetan: dependent arising Important doctrine in Tibetan Buddhism, brought over from the teachings of Nagarjuna metaxu thought: maybe it is man's search for emptiness that causes him to raze forests to the ground, kill rivers, and shoot birds out of the sky.
siddhu siddha	Skt.	"adept"
Sipakhorlo Eng. Wheel of Life	Tib.		Wheel of Life; in Buddhism, an image for the cycle of existence.
six-pointed star	Eng.		In tantric Buddhism, a symbol of the cervix. Originated in ancient Mesopotamia as a symbol of the cervix. Came in to India with the Aryans, where it represented Shakti, the mother. Entered Tibet with the teachings of the Hindu tantric tradition. In Judaism, it represents the magen david, shield of King David. Did not become a Jewish symbol until late Middle Ages.
soul Skt. atman	Eng.		atman.
Southern Schools	Eng.		The schools of Buddhism of Ceylon, Burma, and Thailand, which do not use the terminology of Mahayana and Hinayana. [ ref ]
sparsha	Skt.	"witness"
suffering Skt. dukkha	Eng.		dukkha - the base or nature of existence (samsara), the first of the Four Noble Truths Suffering has a cause (second Noble Truth).
sukha Eng. happiness	Skt.	"happiness" "satisfactoriness"	Definitive, real, happiness. True absence of suffering. To be reached by moksha, liberation, through the Four Noble Truths.
sukhavati	Skt.	"happy earth"	The Buddhist "paradise". The land of Amitabha (The Bodhisattva of compassion.
sutantra	Skt.		Samadhi, a division of the Sutra of Tripitaka
sutra	Skt.	"piece of string" "the words sutra and sutures have the same root." [ ref ]	1. "threads" of discourse. 2. The texts of Buddhism; verses, mostly on philosphy. A piece of string used as a measurement, a "rule of thumb" or a yardstick. So also, a book of rules for the religious community.
tanha	Pali	desire	trishna, craving or desire.
tantra	Skt.	"ritual, rule"	1. Collection of Hindu texts brought over to Tibet. 2. Practices associated with Tantrayana The word tantra originally meant a loom (connected with tantu, thread), then any structure.
tantrayana	Skt.	"way of tantra"	Instructions on spiritual method. vajrayana. As differing from Hinayana and Mahayana instructions on philosophy. Advanced meditation teachings, including deity yoga, promising speedy enlightenment. Makes use of mantras (formulas), yantras (symbols), mudras (hand positions), and mandalas.
tashi	Tib.	"auspicious"	auspicious
teaching Skt. darshan	Eng.		darshan.
thamzing	Chin.		"Public punishment carried out by the Chinese Communists. The accused is made to stand for several hours in front of the populace gathered for the occasion. Family, children, and friends are obliged to take part. The accused must criticize himself, and those who are close to him must insult him, beat him and even spit on him. Humiiated and held up to ridicule, the accused often asks for a quick death." [ ref ] This punishment was introduced to Tibet with the invasion of the Chinese forces. The psychology of this system was explored in the Stanford prison experiment
Theravada	Skt.?	"way of the elders"	The major section of the Hinayana form of Buddhism practiced in South-east Asia. (Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, parts of Assam in India, Sri Lanka). Based on the Pali Canon, the Tripitaka. Emphasizes individual nirvana, and focused more on the teachings of the historical Buddha.
Three Jewels Skt. triratna	Eng.		Triratna
Tibetan Buddhism	Eng.		The Buddhism of the country of Tibet, consisting of Mahayana Buddhism and elements of the old Bön relgion of Tibet, and of Tibetan Culture. Its center is in Lhasa, and its leader is the Dalai Lama.
time	Eng.		In Christianity and Islam, time is a straight line moving in one direction. In Hinduism and Buddhism, it is circular and never ending. Time is the chain and the wheel of suffering from which one can be liberated.
torgya	Tib.		Ceremony performed at the end of the year, symbolizing the rejection of evil. [ ref ]
trikaya	Skt.?	three body (kaya = form, body)	Triple Body
Triple Body Skt. trikaya	Eng.		trikaya
triratna Eng. three jewels	Skt.	three jewels	The Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
trishna Pali tanha Eng. desire	Skt.	"thirst", "desire"	samudaya, kama. Desire, by which all men are chained to samsara and dharmachakra, destiny's wheel. Causes jealousy, anger, and hatred (dosha), and is the result of moha (stupidity), and avidya (ignorance). The way to moksha (release) is through the Buddha-Dharma, the four_noble_truths and the Eight-Fold Path
tum-mo	Tib.	"inner heat"	Advanced tantric meditation practice involving control of automatic processes of the body.
Universal Vehicle	Eng.		The Greater Vehicle, or Mahayana Buddhism. See also Individual Vehicle.
upadana Eng. attachment	Skt.	"attachedness"	Attachedness. Part of samsara to which all human beings are chained.
upasaka	Skt.	"follower" (?)	follower, student.
upavastha	Skt.		Confession by a Buddhist monk of any breach he has committed against the monastic rules (pratimoksha), of the order, in the monks' gathering.
upekkha	Skt.	"equanimity"	Equanimity "Nothing must be allowed to disturb the crystal clarity of the Buddhist mind, All strong emotions are harmful; suffering is to be expected anyway; death is not frightening for those who are not attached to life. A Buddhist fears no enemies since he hates no one." [ ref ] One of the four rules of metta, karuna, mudita, upekkha. [ ref ]
ushnisha	Skt.?		The raised dome on top of the Buddha's head. It contains his superior knowledge and understanding, and implies that he was predestined for enlightenment.
vajrayana	Skt.	"Way of the Vajra", "diamond truth"	Tantrayana.
veda	Skt.	sacred knowledge	Greek "oida", German "wissen" - to know
vidyadhara	Skt.	"wisdom-bearers"	Bearers of wisdom - the dharani.
vijnana	Skt.		Discernment, distinction, judgement, the faculty of understanding. Represented by the second Dhyani-Buddha, Akshobhya [ ref ]
vajra Tib. dorje	Skt.		thunderbolt; diamond
vehicle Skt. yana	Eng.		A path, or way, to spiritual growth, and eventually liberation.
vihara Eng. monastery Tib. gompa	Skt.		A Buddhist monastery in the Theravadan tradition.
vinaya	Skt.	shila	The principles of morality; Principally followed by Hinayanists.
violence	Eng.		"... from the Buddhist viewpoint, theoretically speaking, violence is considered just a method, so the method is not very important. What is important is motivation. The goal. ... "Violence is like a very strong pill or drug. For a certain illness it's very useful, but there are a lot of side effects." [ ref ] [qv quotes ]
vipassana Tib. lhagthong eng. meditation	Skt.		Meditation. one of the pursuits of the mind in following the Path. Specifically, insight meditation, practiced in Theravada Buddhism. Involves becoming aware of the processes of the mind through observation.
wheel Skt. chakra Tib. khorlo	Eng.		samsara, chakra, cycle, Wheel of Dharma, Wheel of Life.
Wheel of Dharma	Eng.		The Buddha's teachings. When he taught, he "turned the Wheel of Dharma".
Wheel of Life Skt. dharmachakra Skt. bhava cakra Tib. sipakhorlo	Eng.		Samsara, the earthly cycle of death and rebirth. Held by Yama, god of the dead. Six section of the circle are the six realms of rebirth: Gods, Demi-gods (Titans), Human Beings, Yi-dag, (Pretas, hungry ghosts) Animals, Hells. [ more ]
wisdom Skt. prajna	Eng.		One of the two pillars of buddhism
yabyum	Tib.		The union of Wisdom and Method, represented as sexual union between a fierce diety and a dakini
yajamana	Tib.	benefactor	Mongolia as benefactor entered into a priest-patron relationship in the 13th c. CE. with Tibet.
yantra	Skt.		Sacred diagrams. Used in tantrayana.
year Tib. lokhor	Eng.		lokhor.
Zen Eng. meditation Skt. dhyana Ch. ch'an	Jap.		A form of buddhism. Japanese form of the word dhyana, insight.