Key Buddhist Terms

The commitment to actually practice the six perfections and other methods leading to Buddhahood. The second aspect of bodhicitta. Like actually settin

Mental factors that disturb the mind and cause suffering. The six root afflictions: desire/attachment, anger/aversion, ignorance, pride, doubt, and wr

Great Indian master (4th century) who received teachings directly from Maitreya. Author of the Bodhisattva Bhumis and other Yogachara texts. One of Ga

The wish to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. The first of two aspects of bodhicitta. Like wanting to go on a journey. Mus

The great Indian master (982-1054) who came to Tibet and composed the Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment. Founder of the Kadampa tradition. His lam-ri

The ten stages of bodhisattva realization, beginning with the path of insight. Each bhumi has nine aspects: name, significance, training, practice, pu

The aspiration to attain complete Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Has two aspects: aspiration bodhicitta (the wish) and action bodh

One who has generated bodhicitta and is committed to attaining Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Called 'children of the victorious o

Asanga's treatise on the stages of the bodhisattva path. One of Gampopa's primary sources throughout the Jewel Ornament, providing definitions, classi

Pure realms manifested by Buddhas through the power of their aspiration prayers. Where sambhogakaya Buddhas teach bodhisattvas on the bhumis. Created

The innate potential for enlightenment present in all sentient beings. The primary cause that makes Buddhahood possible. Not a 'thing' that can be fou

Meditation that calms and stabilizes the mind, developing single-pointed concentration. Achieved through nine stages of settling the mind. Provides th

The wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering and its causes. The root of the Mahayana path. Three types: compassion with beings as objec

The practice of directing accumulated merit toward enlightenment for all beings. Prevents merit from being consumed by anger or wasted on mundane resu

The principle that all phenomena arise in dependence upon causes and conditions. The twelve links describe the cycle of samsara: ignorance, formations

The expanse of reality, the true nature of all phenomena. Synonymous with emptiness when understood as the ground of all manifestation. The space-like

The 'truth body' of a Buddha—the realization of the true nature of reality beyond all elaboration. The identity of the actual Buddha. Characterized

Freedom from eight states that prevent dharma practice: four non-human (hell, hungry ghost, animal, long-lived god) and four human (born in a land wit

Eight factors practiced on the path of meditation: perfect view, perfect conception, perfect speech, perfect action, perfect livelihood, perfect effor

The absence of inherent existence in all phenomena. Not nothingness, but the lack of independent, self-existing nature. All things arise through depen

The progressive stages to enlightenment: (1) Path of Accumulation—gathering merit and wisdom, (2) Path of Application—applying practice to reality

The five aspects of Buddha's primordial wisdom: mirror-like wisdom (reflecting all phenomena), wisdom of equality (seeing sameness of self and others)

Immeasurable loving-kindness (wishing all beings happiness), immeasurable compassion (wishing all beings freedom from suffering), immeasurable joy (re

The first twelve wings of enlightenment, arising on the lesser path of accumulation: mindfulness of body, mindfulness of feelings, mindfulness of mind

The Buddha's first teaching: (1) Truth of suffering—samsara is characterized by suffering, (2) Truth of origin—suffering arises from craving and i

Four actions that cause forgetting bodhicitta: deceiving the teacher or objects of reverence, causing inappropriate remorse in others, speaking badly

The author of the Jewel Ornament of Liberation. Student of Milarepa, physician from Dagpo, founder of the Dagpo Kagyu lineage. Combined Kadampa lam-r

The first perfection. Three types: giving material things, giving dharma (teachings), and giving fearlessness (protection). The antidote to attachment

A genre of Buddhist teaching that presents the path to enlightenment in a systematic, progressive sequence. Originated with Atisha's Lamp for the Path

The truth that all conditioned phenomena are subject to change and decay. The first seal of the dharma. Meditation on death and impermanence is the re

The law of cause and effect operating through intentional actions. Actions motivated by afflictions produce suffering; actions motivated by virtue pro

Atisha's seminal lam-rim text composed in Tibet, presenting the graduated path to enlightenment. The model for the Jewel Ornament and all subsequent l

The wish for all sentient beings to meet with happiness and its causes. Practiced by remembering the kindness of one's mother and extending that grati

The highest meditation teaching of the Kagyu lineage, pointing directly to the nature of mind. According to Gampopa, the Buddha-nature teaching in the

The Great Vehicle, the path of the bodhisattva who seeks enlightenment for all beings rather than personal liberation alone. Distinguished from Hinaya

The innate disposition toward the Mahayana path, characterized by natural gentleness, compassion, and inclination toward the welfare of all beings. On

The fifth perfection. The practice of calm abiding (shamatha) that settles the mind. Three types: meditation that produces happiness in this life, med

Positive potential accumulated through virtuous actions. One of the two accumulations (along with wisdom) required for enlightenment. Leads to the for

The philosophical school founded by Nagarjuna that avoids the extremes of eternalism (things truly exist) and nihilism (nothing exists at all). Establ

Tibet's most beloved yogi and poet. Gampopa's root teacher and student of Marpa. Achieved enlightenment in one lifetime through extraordinary devotio

The second perfection. Three types: the ethics of restraint (avoiding harm), the ethics of accumulating virtue, and the ethics of benefiting sentient

Nine similes from the Uttaratantra illustrating how Buddha activity functions spontaneously: like Indra's reflection, a drum in heaven, clouds, Brahma

The 'emanation body' of a Buddha—the form perceptible to ordinary beings. Three types: artistic emanation (inspiring through arts), birth emanation

Freedom from samsara—the exhaustion of all confused projections. Empty by nature like samsara, but characterized by freedom from suffering rather th

One who has directly realized emptiness, beginning with the path of insight. Distinguished from worldlings (prthagjana) who have not yet had this real

The third perfection. Three types: patience of not retaliating to harm, patience of accepting suffering, and patience in regard to the dharma (accepti

Literally 'gone to the other shore.' The six transcendent practices that carry one from samsara to nirvana: generosity, moral ethics, patience, persev

The fourth perfection. Defined as 'joy in virtue.' Three types: armor-like perseverance (determination before action), perseverance in application (ac

The vows of individual liberation. Seven types: bhikshu, bhikshuni, shiksamana, shramanera, shramanerika, upasaka, upasika. Foundation for bodhisattv

A human life endowed with the eight freedoms (from states that prevent dharma practice) and ten advantages (conditions that support practice). The wor

Non-dual awareness that transcends ordinary dualistic wisdom. A Buddha possesses two aspects: wisdom realizing things as they are (emptiness) and wisd

The foundation of Buddhist practice—entrusting oneself to the Three Jewels: Buddha (the guide), Dharma (the path), and Sangha (the companions). Dist

The determination to be free from samsara, arising from meditation on impermanence and suffering. Not mere world-denial but a realistic assessment of

The gravest violations of the bodhisattva vow that cause its loss. Include praising oneself while disparaging others, not giving dharma or material ai

The 'enjoyment body' of a Buddha—the form perceptible to bodhisattvas on the bhumis. Characterized by five certainties: certain entourage (bodhisatt

The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth driven by karma and afflictions. Empty by nature but manifesting as error and suffering. Comprises three realms

The great Indian bodhisattva and scholar (8th century) of Nalanda monastery, author of the Bodhicharyavatara (Way of the Bodhisattva). Gampopa draws

The six types of samsaric existence: hell beings (extreme suffering), hungry ghosts (deprivation), animals (ignorance and exploitation), humans (mixed

Meditation that analyzes the nature of reality, particularly emptiness. Requires the stable foundation of shamatha. Together shamatha and vipashyana c

The contributory cause for enlightenment. Without meeting authentic teachers, one cannot find the Three Jewels. Teachers are classified by level: ordi

Five personal: being human, born in a central land, having complete senses, not having committed extreme negative karma, having faith. Five circumstan

The ten levels of bodhisattva realization: (1) Joyful, (2) Stainless, (3) Luminous, (4) Radiant, (5) Difficult to Conquer, (6) Manifesting, (7) Far-re

Actions that produce suffering: three of body (killing, stealing, sexual misconduct), four of speech (lying, divisive speech, harsh words, idle chatte

Actions that produce happiness: protecting life, practicing generosity, maintaining proper conduct; speaking truthfully, harmoniously, gently, meaning

The qualities that carry one to enlightenment like wings carry a bird. Arise sequentially through the five paths: four mindfulnesses, four abandonment

Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Buddha is the teacher who showed the path; Dharma is the teachings and realizations; Sangha is the community of practition

The three bodies or dimensions of Buddhahood: Dharmakaya (truth body for one's own benefit), Sambhogakaya (enjoyment body for bodhisattvas), and Nirma

The three fundamental afflictions from which all others arise: desire/attachment (attraction), anger/aversion (repulsion), and ignorance/delusion (con

The three levels of samsaric existence: desire realm (pleasure through senses), form realm (refined experiences of certain gods), formless realm (expe

The suffering of suffering (obvious pain), the suffering of change (pleasures that turn to pain), and all-pervasive suffering (the subtle unsatisfacto

The archetypal activities of a supreme nirmanakaya Buddha: descending from Tushita, entering the womb, taking birth, mastering arts, enjoying consorts

Merit (leading to form bodies) and wisdom (leading to dharmakaya). Both must be gathered simultaneously for complete enlightenment. Incomplete accumul

The afflictive obscuration (klesha-avarana)—the disturbing emotions that cause suffering, and the cognitive obscuration (jneya-avarana)—the subtle

Selflessness of persons (pudgala-nairātmya)—the lack of an independent, permanent self, and selflessness of phenomena (dharma-nairātmya)—the lac

Conventional truth (samvrti-satya)—how things appear through dependent origination, and ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya)—the emptiness of inhere

One of the five treatises of Maitreya, teaching Buddha-nature through seven vajra points. The source for Gampopa's chapters on Buddha-nature and Buddh

The final meditation at the end of the tenth bhumi that destroys all remaining obscurations. Called 'vajra-like' because it is unobstructed, hard, sta

The sixth perfection. The wisdom that realizes emptiness—the lack of inherent existence in persons and phenomena. Distinguished from primordial wisd