Notes:
This glossary was compiled from glossaries found in different English books on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and edited by the webmaster.
Definitions and synonyms may differ in the various Buddhist traditions.
* : unpreferred term or term with incorrect connotation
(Skt): Sanskrit
A very extensive web glossary.

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2 BUDDHA BODIES: DHARMAKAYA and RUPAKAYA
2 COLLECTIONS: Collections of VIRTUE and WISDOM.
2 EXTREMES: Views of eternalism and nihilism.
2 STAGES OF TANTRA: GENERATION STAGE AND COMPLETION STAGE
2 TRUTHS: CONVENTIONAL TRUTH and ULTIMATE TRUTH.

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3 BUDDHA BODIES: DHARMAKAYA, SAMBHOGAKAYA and NIRMANAKAYA.
3 BASKETS: See: TRIPITAKA.
3 DELUSIONS/POISONS/NEGATIVITIES: IGNORANCE, aversion/anger, ATTACHMENT/desire.
3 DOORS: Body, speech and MIND.
3-FOLD MORALITY: Keeping one's vows, collecting VIRTUE and helping SENTIENT BEINGS.
3 HIGHER TRAININGS: Training in ethics, meditation and discriminating awareness
3 JEWELS/GEMS: The three objects of REFUGE: BUDDHA, DHARMA and SANGHA. At outer level: SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA, his teachings and community of ordained persons. At inner level: BUDDHA NATURE, the all-pervading truth and ARYAS.
3 KAYAS: see 3 BUDDHA BODIES
3 PRINCIPLE ASPECTS OF THE PATH: RENUNCIATION, BODHICITTA and WISDOM REALIZING EMPTINESS from a text by Lama TZONGKHAPA.
3 REALMS: DESIRE REALM, FORM REALM and FORMLESS REALM.
3 SCOPES: Levels of motivation of a practitioner: Low/initial/small scope: achievement of good REBIRTH, Middle/intermediate scope: achievement of LIBERATION, and Highest/great scope: achievement of Buddhahood for the sake of all SENTIENT BEINGS.
3 TIMES: Past, present and future.
3 TRAININGS: Training in morality/discipline, concentration and WISDOM/discrimination (the essential trainings of the SUTRAYANA).
3 TYPES OF ACTIONS: actions of the mind, the speech and the body
3 TYPES OF SUFFERING: Suffering of suffering (pain, distress), suffering of change and all-pervasive suffering (potential to suffer).
3 TYPES OF VOWS: PRATIMOKSHA, BODHISATTVA and TANTRIC vows

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4 ACTIVITIES: (in tantric practice) pacifying, increasing/developing, controlling and subjugating/terrifying.
4 BUDDHA BODIES: SVABHAVIKAKAYA, jñana-DHARMAKAYA, SAMBHO-GAKAYA and NIRMANAKAYA.
4 CONTINENTS: East, Lüpagpo, Noble-body-land; south, Dzambuling, Jambu-fruit-land (our human world); west, Balangchö, Cattle Enjoyments; north, Dramiñän, Unpleasant Voice. These continents appear in the MANDALA OFFERING, and are part of the symbolic representation of the entire universe.
4 FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS: Mindfulness of body, feeling, mind and phenomena.
4 HALLMARKS OF CORRECT VIEW: 4 Principles that constitute the basic insights of the Buddhist path to enlightenment: 1. all conditioned existence is impermanent, 2. all deluded experiences are suffering, 3. all phenomena are EMPTY and lack self-identity, 4.nirvana/liberation is true peace.
4 IMMEASURABLES: Immeasurable LOVE / loving kindness, COMPASSION, EQUANIMITY, joy.
4 MARAS: Devaputra (actual SENTIENT BEING called Ishvara), death (YAMA), DEFILEMENTS, contaminated AGGREGATES.
4 MEANS OF ATTRACTING (students): being generous, speaking kindly, giving appropriate teachings, being consistent in word and deed.
4 NOBLE DISCIPLINES: Avoiding to respond to (1) anger with anger, (2) physical harm with physical harm, (3) criticism with criticism, (4) verbal argumenting with verbal argumenting. These disciplines are said to distinguish the real practitioners, as they control the causes of anger and lack of patience. (This is part of the secondary Bodhisattva vows.)
4 NOBLE TRUTHS: Truth of: SUFFERING, the cause of SUFFERING, the cessation of SUFFERING, the 8-FOLD NOBLE PATH.
4 OPPONENT POWERS (for purification): taking REFUGE & generating BODHICITTA, regret / repentence, actual positive practice (mantras, prostrations etc.), promise not to repeat negativities.
4 PURITIES (in Tantric practice): Place (environment is seen as the DEITY'S MANDALA), Body (ordinary body is imagined to be the DEITY'S body), Enjoyments (sense enjoyments are seen as offerings to the DEITY), Action (all ones' actions are regarded as the DEITY'S actions).
4 SEALS: All produced phenomena are impermanent, all contaminated products are in the nature of SUFFERING, all phenomena are EMPTINESS, NIRVANA is peace.
4 TANTRIC CLASSES: Kriya-tantra (action-tantra), Charya-tantra (performance-tantra), Yoga-tantra, Annutarayoga-tantra (highest yoga tantra).
4 TENETS: 4 philosophical schools, differing in their view of EMPTINESS: Vaibhashika, Sautrantika, Cittamatra, Madhyamika. 1 & 2 are HINAYANA schools, 3 & 4 are MAHAYANA-schools

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5 AGGREGATES: Form (body), feeling, recognition (discrimination, distinguishing awareness), volition (compositional factors), primary consciousness (5 sense-consciousnesses and mental consciousness).
5 BUDDHA FAMILIES: see 5 DHYANI BUDDHAS
5 CHAKRAS: In Buddhism usually the energy centers at the brow, the crown of the head, the throat, the heart and four finger widths under the navel.
5 DEGENERATIONS: Degeneration of: lifetime, era, beings, views, defilements.
5 DELUSIONS/POISONS: ATTACHMENT, ANGER, IGNORANCE, jealousy and doubt. (Sometimes others are counted, the first 3 however are always present)
5 DHYANI BUDDHAS: AMITABHA, AKSHOBHYA, RATNASAMBHAVA, VAIROCHANA, AMOGHASIDDHI.
5-FOLD PATH OF MAHAMUDRA: entire practice to Buddhahood based on the MAHAMUDRA practice of the KAGYU tradition of Tibet. The 5 paths are: 1. Meditation on BODHICITTA, 2. DEITY YOGA, 3. GURU YOGA, 4. MAHAMUDRA practice, 5. dedication of MERIT.
5 HEINOUS CRIMES: Killing one's father, mother or an ARHAT; attempt to wound (draw blood from) a BUDDHA, causing division amongst the SANGHA.
5 PATHS: Paths of: merit, preparation, insight, meditation and attainment. The definitions of these paths differs in the HINAYANA and MAHAYANA.
5 SCIENCES: grammar, logic, medicine, arts & crafts, religious philosophy.
5 WISDOMS: gnosis or dharmadhatu, mirror-like, equality, discrimination and all-accomplishing

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6 CHAKRAS: Usually: browpoint (third eye), crown, throat, heart, navel, genitals. (Sometimes browpoint & crown are considered as one CHAKRA).
6 PERFECTIONS or VIRTUES: Giving, ethics, patience, effort, concentration and WISDOM.
6 PREPARATORY PRACTICES: (Before meditation); cleaning up and setting up the altar; make offerings on the altar; sit comfortably, check the state of mind, taking REFUGE & generating BODHICITTA; visualize the merit field; 7-LIMBED PRAYER & MANDALA OFFERING; request the GURU for inspiration.
6  REALMS: HELL, PRETA, animal, human, ASURA and GOD REALM
6 SENSES: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, mental (apperception)
6-SESSION GURU YOGA: Set of daily tantric meditations intended to keep the daily tantric commitments
6 YOGAS OF NAROPA: Tantric meditation system, comprising the heart of the COMPLETION STAGE practice in the KAGYU school of Tibetan Buddhism
6 YOGAS OF NIGUMA: Meditation system similar to the 6 YOGAS OF NAROPA

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7  LIMBED PRAYER: Prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting the Buddhas to remain and teach DHARMA, dedication.
7 POINTS VAIROCHANA POSTURE: legs in VAJRA position; hands in MEDITATION MUDRA; back straight; eyelids half open, look to ground in front; tongue against upper pallet; shoulders straight; MIND relaxed
7 PRECIOUS OBJECTS: Possessions of a Universal Monarch (symbolizing the 7 ENLIGHTENMENT factors): Precious; Wheel (mindfulness), Elephant (WISDOM), Horse (Energy, LUNG), Jewel (Joy), Queen (tranquility), Minister (concentration) and General (equanimity).

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8 AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS/LUCKY SIGNS: umbrella, fish, treasure vase, lotus, conch, (long-life)-knot, banner of victory, Dharma wheel
8 BODHISATTVAS: (Close entourtage of SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA) MANJUSHRI, VAJRAPANI, AVALOKITESHVARA, Kshitigarbha, Sarvanivaranaviskambini, Akashagarbha, MAITREYA, Samantabhadra.
8-FOLD NOBLE PATH: Correct: understanding, view, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration.
8  LEISURES AND 10 ENDOWMENTS: 8 Leisures are freedom from: rebirth as hell-being, preta, animal, demi-god or god, incomplete organs, 5 HEINOUS CRIMES, no views opposite to 3 JEWELS. 10 Endowments: human, organs intact, not having performed the 5 HEINOUS CRIMES, no views opposite 3 JEWELS, not crazy, living in land with DHARMA, not living in a barbarian country, time when DHARMA has appeared, DHARMA teachers/centers/practitioners are around, people appreciate and help practitioners.
8 LUCKY SIGNS: see 8 AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS
8 MAHAYANA PRECEPTS: Vows for not: killing, stealing, sexual activity, lying, intoxicants, more than 1 meal in 24 hrs., sitting on high, expensive seats or beds, wearing ornaments & dancing & playing music with ATTACHMENT. These vows can be taken for various time spans.
8 VERSES OF THOUGHT TRANSFORMATION: Short essential text of the Kadampa Master Langri Thangpa.
8 WORLDLY DHARMAS: Desire for: fame, worldly pleasure, material gain and praise. Feeling unhappy when: loosing fame, worldly pleasure, material gain and when hearing harsh or unpleasant criticism towards ourselves.

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9-ROUND BREATHING: Meditation technique using 9 in- and exhalations and visualisations to calm and clear the mind

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10 BHUMIS (STAGES): stages on the path to Buddhahood
10 NON-VIRTUES: 3 of body: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct; 4 of speech: lying, slander, abusive speech, gossip; 3 of mind: covetousness, ill-will, wrong view.
10 PERFECTIONS: 6 PERFECTIONS plus: method, prayer, power, exalted wisdom.

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11-ROUND CONTEMPLATION: A synthesis of the two main systems for generating BODHICITTA; the 'seven point cause and effect' by ATISHA and Shantideva's method called 'Equality and exchange of self with others'. The meditation steps are: 1. cultivating EQUANIMITY, 2. recognising all beings as intimately connected with oneself, 3. recollecting their kindness, 4. repaying their kindness, 5. special equanimity on the basis of empathy with others, 6. the shortcomings of self-cherishing, 7. benefits of cherishing others, 8. meditation on 'giving' - all of one's posessions and merit to others, 9. meditation on 'taking' all others' suffering, 10. taking the responisbility to help others, 11. realisation od BODHICITTA.
11 WAYS OF HELPING SENTIENT BEINGS: Helping those who are SUFFERING; are ignorant of KARMA; have previously helped you; are in danger; full of grief; poor; homeless; already on the true Path; or on a wrong path;
helping skilfully and helping by using any SIDDHIS you possess.

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12 LINKS OF (INTER)DEPENDENT ORIGINATION or CAUSATION: ignorance, compositional factors causing misperception, consciousness, name & form, the 6 SENSES, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, (re-)birth, aging & death.

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16 EMPTINESSES: Explanation of EMPTINESS on the basis of categorising 16 types of phenomena

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35 BUDDHAS OF CONFESSION: 35 BUDDHAS associated with a specific confession/purification practice, usually combining recitation and prostrations.

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37 FACTORS OF BUDDHAHOOD: Sequential aspects of the path to enlightenment, although found in the Mahayana traditions, most commonly present in the Hinayana schools

37 PRACTICES OF A BODHISATTVA: Set of practices which embrace all aspects of the BODHISATTVA's path to enlightenment. Based on a text by Tibetan Ngulchu Thogme Zangpo

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50 VERSES OF GURU DEVOTION: Important text by Ashvagosha which describes the proper attitude towards one's tantric Master.