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Sādhana + (Sādhana refers to a method of practice thr … Sādhana refers to a method of practice through which one can actualise a specific spiritual result, and by extension to the texts and manuals which present such methods. A sādhana in the Vajrayāna Buddhist context generally involves the worship and visualisation of a tantric deity, chanting of mantras, and associated practices. The practice often begins with verses of taking refuge and cultivating altruistic thought, then carrying out meditation on emptiness and the mandala of deity, seven-part worship, chanting of mantras, and finally the dissolution of the deity which was visualised.olution of the deity which was visualised.)
Tantra + (Tantra, when juxtaposed with Sūtra, genera … Tantra, when juxtaposed with Sūtra, generally refers to the scriptures and texts which discuss esoteric topics. While the term is used to refer to texts on other topics, it is mostly used to refer to the genre of scriptures and texts on themes and topics associated with Vajrayāna Buddhism.topics associated with Vajrayāna Buddhism.)
Uttaratantra + (The ''Ultimate Continuum'', or ''Gyü Lama'', is often used as a short title in the Tibetan tradition for the key source text of buddha-nature teachings called the ''Ratnagotravibhāga'' of Maitreya/Asaṅga, also known as the ''Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra''.)
Bodong + (The Bodong tradition generally refers to the vast body of literature and activity stemming from Bodong Panchen Choklé Namgyal (1375/76-1451) and the monastery of Bodong E to the north of Sakya and the west of Narthang.)
Parikalpitasvabhāva + (The first of the three natures, according to the Yogācāra school. It is the imaginary nature which is falsely projected onto an object out of confusion.)
Gzhi + (The foundational basis of both saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. It is often used as a synonym for tathāgatagarbha and dharmadhātu.)
Prabhāsvaracitta + (The luminous aspect of mind that is often … The luminous aspect of mind that is often contrasted with its empty aspect. It is often used figuratively to reference the cognizant, or knowing, aspect of mind and sometimes more literally as the natural luminosity of mind and luminous wisdom that is experienced in meditation. wisdom that is experienced in meditation.)
Hīnayāna + (The mainstream teachings and the early sch … The mainstream teachings and the early schools of Buddhism which primarily taught individual liberation through practice-focused renunciation and monasticism, considered lesser than the later movement of the Greater Vehicle (Mahāyāna), which professed enlightenment for all sentient beings and promoted compassion.l sentient beings and promoted compassion.)
Bodhiprasthānacitta + (The mind or mental attitude that actually works towards enlightenment by continuously engaging in the trainings that lead to its accomplishment.)
Bodhipraṇidhicitta + (The mind or mental attitude that aspires towards enlightenment.)
Viparyāsa + (The misperception or incorrect view a pers … The misperception or incorrect view a person has of reality, which must be overcome by having correct understanding and right view. The four well known incorrect views are seeing impermanent phenomena as permanent, dissatisfactory nature of things as blissful, impure things as pure, and illusory things as absolute and real. However, in the context of buddha-nature theory or other systems, there are also other forms of misconceptions which contradict with objective reality.s which contradict with objective reality.)
Svabhāva + (The nature or essence of a thing, which originates only from itself and is not dependent on any external entities, causes, or conditions.)
Tattva + (The reality or the objective state of thin … The reality or the objective state of things as they are. In the Buddhist context, it refers to the ultimate nature of things although what exactly suchness means would depend on the philosophical position of the specific schools. The Middle Way school, for instance, consider emptiness as the suchness of all things.r emptiness as the suchness of all things.)
Paratantrasvabhāva + (The second of the three natures, according … The second of the three natures, according to the Yogācāra school. It is the dependent nature that is used to describe the relationship between mind and its objects, though there is a clear emphasis on the latter. Hence, this nature is concerned with the nature of seemingly external objects that arise in dependence upon causes and conditions. in dependence upon causes and conditions.)
Gzhan stong + (The state of being devoid of that which is … The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.emotions but not empty of its true nature.)
Śūnyatā + (The state of being empty of an innate nature due to a lack of independently existing characteristics.)
Rang stong + (The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.)
Great Madhyamaka + (The term ''Great Madhyamaka'' is utilized … The term ''Great Madhyamaka'' is utilized in different contexts depending on the tradition. In the Jonang tradition, it generally refers to the Zhentong Madhyamaka philosophy as it was developed and systematized by Dölpopa. In this context, the Great Madhyamaka refers to the presentation of ultimate truth, while Madhyamaka describes the emptiness of the relative level of truth. In the Nyingma tradition, Great Madhyamaka refers to the subtle, inner Madhyamaka that unifies the philosophical positions of Nāgārjuna and Asaṅga. This is presented in opposition to the coarse, outer Madhyamaka that is the dialectic approach of Prāsaṅgika and Svātantrika. In the Kagyu tradition, the term is used in a similar vein in that Madhyamaka is used to refer to philosophical inquiry, while Great Madhyamaka is used to refer to the view arrived at through yogic accomplishment. However, in all of these traditions, Great Madhyamaka is heavily associated with buddha-nature (''tathāgatagarbha'') and the definitive status of these teachings. the definitive status of these teachings.)
Pariniṣpannasvabhāva + (The third of the three natures, according … The third of the three natures, according to the Yogācāra school. It is the perfect nature that represents the most authentic understanding of phenomena, which is classically defined as the complete absence of the imaginary nature within the dependent nature.ginary nature within the dependent nature.)
Triviṣa + (The three poisons are a reference to the a … The three poisons are a reference to the afflictive emotions of ''rāga'' (Tib. '' 'dod chags''), ''dveṣa'' (Tib. ''zhe sdang''), and ''moha'' (Tib. ''gti mug''). These three detrimental states or afflictive behavioral patterns are difficult to definitively translate, and thus there are several common English variations of this group of three, such as desire, aggression, and bewilderment, or attachment, aversion, and delusion. It is useful to think of these three as a process that involves our insatiable urge to possess that which we desire and the ensuing aggravation that arises when we don't get what we want or have what we don't want forced upon us. Yet we are oblivious to the futility of these conditioned responses due to our lack of discernment, and thus we mindlessly continue to get caught up in this causal nexus.nue to get caught up in this causal nexus.)
Dharmatā + (The true nature of phenomenal existence.)
Mahāyoga + (This is first one of the inner tantric sch … This is first one of the inner tantric schools according to the Nyingma tradition. Mahāyoga includes two sub-sections of the tantras which includes eighteen tantras and the sādhanās that includes the eight sādhanā practices. Mahāyoga focuses on the Development Stage and espouses the view of equality and purity in which equality refers to equal nature of phenomena in being empty and purity refers to all appearances being inherently enlightened energies. The Mahāyoga path leads to four stages of vidyadharas. path leads to four stages of vidyadharas.)
Byams chos sde lnga + (This refers to a series of five texts that, according to the Tibetan tradition, Asaṅga received directly from Maitreya in the pure realm of Tuṣita.)
Ātman + (Though it can simply be used as the expres … Though it can simply be used as the expression "I" or "me", in Indian thought the notion of self refers to a permanent, unchanging entity, such as that which passes from life to life in the case of people, or the innate essence (''svabhāva'') of phenomena.nnate essence (''svabhāva'') of phenomena.)
Vinaya + (Vinaya refers to the corpus of Buddhist te … Vinaya refers to the corpus of Buddhist teachings on moral discipline and precepts and is one of the three canonical sets of teachings alongside Sūtra and Abhidharma. It also refers to the monastic tradition which has been passed down since the Buddha's time until our time.wn since the Buddha's time until our time.)

Avidyā + (Literally "unknowing," it refers to a lack of knowledge or misunderstanding of the nature of reality. As such, it is considered to be the root cause of suffering and the basis for the arising of all other negative mental factors.)

Saṃvṛtisatya + ("Relative truth" or "conventional truth"; the erroneously perceived reality common to the unenlightened.)
Dharmakāya + ("Truth body" or "true being" — One of the three bodies of a buddha. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, it often refers to a kind of fundamental principle or the true nature of reality itself.)
Paramārthasatya + ("Ultimate truth" or "absolute truth"; the reality of things as they truly are.)
Bodhisattva + (A person who seeks enlightenment for the s … A person who seeks enlightenment for the sake of others. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is a compassionate being who is training on the path to Buddhahood and aspires to eliminate the suffering of all beings and take all sentient beings to the state of enlightenment. The Mahāyāna sūtras including those on buddha-nature generally have Bodhisattvas as the main audience or interlocutors for the Buddha's discourses.interlocutors for the Buddha's discourses.)
Atiyoga + (A system of esoteric thought and practice … A system of esoteric thought and practice associated with the Nyingma tradition and equivalent to Great Perfection, it is considered as the pinnacle of the nine vehicles or paths one can follow to reach Buddhahood. The system focusses on the pure, luminous and empty nature of the mind as the ground reality which must be realised through the path of trekchö and thögal practice.h the path of trekchö and thögal practice.)
Abhidharma + (Abhidharma generally refers to the corpus … Abhidharma generally refers to the corpus of Buddhist texts which deals with the typological, phenomenological, metaphysical, and epistemological presentation of Buddhist concepts and teachings. The abhidharma teachings present a meta-knowledge of Buddhist sūtras through analytical and systemic schemas and are said to focus on developing wisdom among the three principles of training. The Abhidharma is presented alongside Sūtra and Vinaya as one of the three baskets of the teachings of the Buddha.ee baskets of the teachings of the Buddha.)
Trisvabhāva + (According to the Yogācāra school, all phen … According to the Yogācāra school, all phenomena can be divided into three natures or characteristics: the imaginary nature (''parikalpitasvabhāva''), the dependent nature (''paratantrasvabhāva''), and the perfect or absolute nature (''pariniṣpannasvabhāva'').bsolute nature (''pariniṣpannasvabhāva'').)
Actualized enlightenment + (Actualized enlightenment is enlightenment … Actualized enlightenment is enlightenment that is attained through practice. It is contrasted with original enlightenment, which is the mind's innate purity in its natural state. Ultimately, there is no difference between them. Because of the presence of ignorance, sentient beings are blind to their true nature. By removing that ignorance, one actualizes enlightenment.t ignorance, one actualizes enlightenment.)
Kun gzhi + (Although it is commonly used as an abbrevi … Although it is commonly used as an abbreviation of ''ālayavijñāna'' (''kun gzhi'i rnam shes''), in later Tibetan traditions, particularly that of the Kagyu and the Nyingma, it came to denote an ultimate or pure basis of mind, as opposed to the ordinary, deluded consciousness represented by the ālayavijñāna. Alternatively, in the Jonang tradition, this pure version is referred to as ''ālaya-wisdom'' (''kun gzhi'i ye shes'').''ālaya-wisdom'' (''kun gzhi'i ye shes'').)
Nirmāṇakāya + (An fully enlightened Buddha is said to hav … An fully enlightened Buddha is said to have the power to manifest in many forms in order to help the sentient beings. The emanation body of a buddha, as the third of the three bodies of a buddha, refers to the many forms in which a buddha can manifest and which are accessible to ordinary sentient beings. Buddhist scholars present four types of emanation bodies: emanation as supreme being, emanation as rebirth, emanation as artisan and emanation in diverse forms.as artisan and emanation in diverse forms.)
Svasaṃvedana + (An important term for the Yogācāra that re … An important term for the Yogācāra that refers to a consciousness of consciousness itself, or how one knows that they know something. It was a hotly debated topic that was disputed by followers of the Madhyamaka. In Tibet it would later become a common Dzogchen term, though with the entirely different meaning of one's own innate awareness (''rig pa''), a crucial concept in the Dzogchen teachings.crucial concept in the Dzogchen teachings.)
Sarvākāravaropetāśūnyatā + (As opposed to a mere voidness, this phrase refers to an emptiness that is endowed with enlightened qualities and attributes.)
Brahman + (Brahman is the universal principle, suprem … Brahman is the universal principle, supreme truth or ultimate reality in the Hindu religion considered to be absolute, eternal and blissful. A metaphysical concept, it is described as the single binding unity behind the diversity of all that exists. In Buddhism, while this metaphysical principle is not presented, one finds frequent mention of the deity named Brahmā, who is the personification of this principle. is the personification of this principle.)
Tathāgatagarbha + (Buddha-nature, literally the "womb/essence of those who have gone (to suchness).")
Sems nyid + (Commonly found in Dzogchen and Mahāmudrā literature, this term denotes the true, natural state of mind as it is. Often used in these traditions as a synonym for buddha-nature.)
Ngo bo + (Essence or the most basic, fundamental nature or natural state of being. It is often used as a synonym for ''rang bzhin''.)
Prabhāsvaratā + (In a general sense, that which clears away … In a general sense, that which clears away darkness, though it often appears in Buddhist literature in reference to the mind or its nature. It is a particularly salient feature of Tantric literature, especially in regard to the advanced meditation techniques of the completion-stage yogas. techniques of the completion-stage yogas.)
Pramāṇa + (In the Buddhist literature on pramāṇa, it refers to cognition that correctly apprehends its object without any deception or mistake. Such correct cognition include direct perception and inferential cognition.)
Prātimokṣasaṃvara + (In the Mūlasarvāstivāda vinaya that was pr … In the Mūlasarvāstivāda vinaya that was preserved in Tibet, this refers to a set of seven types of vows of individual liberation that constitute formal ordination according to the precepts of the vinaya, or disciplinary code, of the fundamental vehicle. This set of seven is divided by gender and includes the vows for fully ordained monastics, novice monastics, and lay people, as well as specifc vows for novice nuns actively training for full ordination. Sometimes included as an eighth type of vow are the single day lay vows associated with the practice of ''sojong'', "mending and purification" (''gso sbyong''), which is observed twice a month.byong''), which is observed twice a month.)
Lam rim + (Lam rim refers to the stages on the path a … Lam rim refers to the stages on the path and, by extension, more commonly to the genre of teachings which contain practical instructions for training on the stages of the path to enlightenment. Related to the Lojong (བློ་སྦྱོང་ blo sbyong) practice, it is particularly known among the Kadampa and Geluk schools. Tsongkhapa's Byang chub lam rim chen mo is the most well-known in this genre, and the term lam rim is often used specifically to refer to this text.n used specifically to refer to this text.)
Avidyā +
Icchantika + (Literally, "those with great desire," icchantikas could be rendered as hedonists or addicts. However, the term is generally used to refer to those who, due to their insatiable desire, are incapable of enlightenment.)
Advaya + (Literally, "without duality," it refers to that which is indivisible, in that it is not divided into two.)
Āvaraṇa + (Literally, that which obscures or conceals … Literally, that which obscures or conceals. Often listed as a set of two obscurations (''sgrib gnyis''): the afflictive emotional obscurations (Skt. ''kleśāvaraṇa'', Tib. ''nyon mongs pa'i sgrib pa'') and the cognitive obscurations (Skt. ''jñeyāvaraṇa'', Tib. ''shes bya'i sgrib pa''). By removing the first, one becomes free of suffering, and by removing the second, one becomes omniscient.moving the second, one becomes omniscient.)
Sugatagarbha + (Literally, the "essence" or "heart of the … Literally, the "essence" or "heart of the Bliss Gone One(s)," a synonym for tathāgatagarbha that is likewise often rendered into English by the term ''buddha-nature''. Though it is often back translated into Sanskrit as ''sugatagarbha'', this term is not found in Sanskrit sources.his term is not found in Sanskrit sources.)