GLOSSARY

A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

(Note: This is a work in progress, needless to say!)

B
BODHICITTA - "Awakened heart/mind." The union of three supreme qualities - love, compassion, and wisdom - which naturally express themselves as the wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. Also called "Buddha mind," bodhicitta constitutes the essential experience of the Buddha nature as well as the very means of realizing it. It is the true nature of the mind.

BODHISATTVA , or "Awakened being." bodhisattvas are dedicated toward a single goal, of freeing all sentient beings from suffering. Spared from automatic rebirth as a result of achieving enlightenment in a previous life, bodhisattvas voluntarily return as humans only to serve.

D
DHARMA - The spiritual teachings of the Buddha. The truth. The path that leads to cessation of suffering.

F
 FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS - The foundation of the Buddhist teachings (dharma):
1. Suffering. Unenlightened lives are plagued by emotional suffering characterized by clinging and aversion.Our suffering is caused by ignorance - a basic misperception of the nature of reality. Due to
this ignorance, we misperceive that self and others solidly exist, the causes of clinging and aversion.
2. The Cause of Suffering. Our suffering is caused by ignorance - a basic misperception of the nature of reality caused by ignorance of our own true wisdom-nature.
3. Cessation of Suffering. Ending one's own suffering is possible.
4. The Path. The way out of suffering is the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Realization, Right Speech, Right Activity, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

FOUR REMEDIAL POWERS- The steps which help pacify negative karma: regret, applying an antidote, resolve to avoid such harmful
activity in the future, and reliance.

K

KARMA - literally "Action", the Buddhist version of the idea that you reap what you sew. It is the fundamental doctrine of actions and their consequences. Karma includes both actual actions (physical, verbal, mental) and psychological imprints and tendencies created within the mind by such actions. Actions for the benefit of others are considered good karma and result in positive or favorable conditions in the future. Selfish and harmful actions result in the opposite. Karma manifests in numerous ways, either in the same or later lifetimes. It is believed that nothing occurs which was not caused by karma and that all actions create karma.
L
LAMA. By strict definition, a lama is a teacher, though this is a very modest description for those lamas who have realized the mind's true nature.

LOJONG - "Mind training." A group of practices to train one's mind in the generation of bodhicitta (lovingkindness) and live one's life in accordance with the principles of a Bodhisattva. A major aspect of lojong is the skillful transformation of circumstances which might normally be considered adverse or harmful into favorable conditions that create merit for the practicioner and happiness for others..

  

 

N
NYINGMA(PA). The Nyingma School was established in Tibet in the mid-eighth century by Padmasambhava and two other great founders of Tibetan Buddhism and has been passed down for over 1,000 years in an unbroken lineage to the present time. Through its profound practices and swift techniques, we can reveal our own inherent Buddha nature in this lifetime. This is one of the fastest paths to enlightenment in Buddhism.

P
PADAMASAMBHAVA, or Guru Rinpoche, is recognized as the founder of Buddhism in Tibet and the principal guru-deity of the Nyingma school. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest masters in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche lived in the 8th century.

S
SAMSARA - The experience or perception of existence that characterizes the unenlightened mind. The concept of being bound by ignorance and illusion in an endless cycle wherein we ignore our inherent Buddha nature. Buddhism is the path out of samsara.


SANGHA - The community; the third of Buddhism's traditional "three jewels"--Buddha, dharma, sangha. The avowed followers of the Buddhist path..

SHAMATHA - Dwelling in peace; basic mindfulness meditation practice. Also called calm abiding.

T
TEN UNWHOLESOME ACTIONS- Ten activities taught by Buddha as having harmful effects in both this and future lives. Three of body: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct. Four of speech: lying, slander, harsh speech, gossip. Three of mind: avarice, malice, false views.
Avoiding these ten and cultivating their opposites are part of Buddhist ethics.

TONGLEN - "Sending and receiving." The meditation practice of taking on the suffering of others. Rather than harmful as it might seem, tonglen is very beneficial for both the practicioner as well as the sufferer.

V

VAJRAYANA - "Diamond (or indestructible) vehicle." A tradition of Buddhism widely practiced in Tibet. The vehicle practiced by the Khenpos, our teachers, as well as their students. In Vajrayana there is an emphasis on skillful means,which involves aware, conscious, and loving action in one's every thought, word, and deed.

VIPASSANA - "Insight" or "clear seeing," Vipassana is analytical meditation that focuses on the natural passing of all events within the mind and the body. Through Vipassana one can gain direct experience of the fundamental Buddhist principle of Impermanence, which is the the changing nature of all mental, physical, and emotional occurrences. Vipassana arises out of the discipline of shamatha.
   
 

 


 

 

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