Glossary

anatman (Tib. bDag-med) No ‘self’ in the sense of some aspect of being that is: solid, permanent, separate, continuous, and defined.Aro gTér The revealed teachings of Khyungchen Aro Lingma.attraction, aversion & indifference (Tib. död-chag, zhe-dang & ti-mug; Skt. raga, dvesha & moha) The three primary dualistic tendencies (Tib. dug gSum), by which we attempt to relate to existence as a series of conceptual reference points. Also called the Three Poisons or the Three Distracted Tendencies. Represented by the cockerel/rooster, snake, and pig respectively on the ‘Wheel of Cyclic Existence’ (Tib. sripa’i khorlo).chang chub sem (Skt. bodhicitta) Literally ‘Buddha mind’. Active compassion.chö (Tib. chos; Skt. dharma) ‘As it is’, reality, suchness, the way things really are.Dorje Tröllö (Tib. rDo rJe gro lod) ‘Vajra with the loose-hanging belly’. The most wrathful manifestation of Padmasambhava.Dorje Tsig-dhun Seven Thunderbolt Phrases, Seven Line Song. The invocation of Padmasambhava, common to all the Nyingma schools.dukkha ‘Suffering’, ‘unsatisfactoriness’. The sense of dissatisfaction we experience even if our lives are ‘successful’.Dzogchen (Skt. mahasandhi; Tib. rDzogs pa chen po - a.k.a. shintu naljor, ati yoga) ‘Great Completeness’ ‘utter totality’. The path of spontaneity.expression, repression, and dissipation Three ways of relating to emotional energy - related to attraction, aversion, and indifference respectively.five precepts Traditional Buddhist precepts for laypersons: 1) the avoidance of killing; 2) the avoidance of stealing; 3) the avoidance of sexual misconduct; 4)

the avoidance of lying; 5) the avoidance of intentional loss of awareness.four denials Descriptions of reality, each of which Buddhism recognises to be only partial, and which it therefore sets out to negate: 1) monism - everything is one; 2) dualism - everything is not one; 3) nihilism - nothing means anything; 4) eternalism - everything means something.four naljors (Tib. rNal ’byor bZhi) The ngöndro of Dzogchen Sems-de: 1) shi-nè - remaining uninvolved (Skt. shamatha); 2) lhatong - further vision (Skt. vipassana); 3) nyi-mèd - non-duality; 4) lhundrup - spontaneity.gendün (Tib. dGe dun, Skt. sangha) The community of those following the Buddhist teachings, either the monastic sangha or the ngak’phang sangha. Also, the mandala of students of a particular teacher.gendün karpo (Tib. dGe dun dKar po) The White Sangha; another name for the gö kar chang lo’i de.gö-kar chang-lo (Tib. gos dKar lCang lo) Literally ‘white skirt / long (or braided) hair’; refers to the manner of dress of ordained ngak’phang practitioners. A name for the ngak’phang sangha.gTérma (Tib. gTér/gTérma, Skt. nidhi) Hidden treasures or teachings. Either physical objects left for the benefit of future times and the regeneration of the Tantric Lineages by Padmasambhava and Yeshé Tsogyel; objects left in the mindstreams of their disciples; or teachings realised directly from pure vision.khor-wa (Tib. khor ba, Skt. samsara) Literally - going around in circles, the cyclic experience of existence. Khyungchen AroLingma (Tib. khyung chen a ro gLing ma 1886-1923) The female gTérton who received the Aro gTér in Pure Vision directly from Yeshé Tsogyel.klesha(s) (Tib. nyon mongs) Literally ‘trouble’, ‘defilement’, or ‘passion’. The ‘Five Poisons’, or 'Five Passions' - uncontrolled emotions. The five kleshas are: desire, aversion, sloth, pride, and jealousy.

kyab Refuge - establishing confidence in actuality. ‘Taking refuge’ means expressing confidence that the teachings of Buddhism are valid means of realisation.Lama (Tib. bLa ma, Skt. guru) The Tantric teacher; Vajra Master. The Lama’s function is to mirror our intrinsic enlightenment. The Lama also mirrors our neuroses, obsessions, and fixed psychological patterns.long ku (Skt. sambhogakaya, Tib. long-sKu) The sphere of intangible appearance, the sphere of vision, or the sphere of realised energy. Also called the ‘body of enjoyment’.ngak’phang (Tib. sNgags ’phang) Literally ‘mantra wielding’. A name for the white Sangha of Tantric practitioners.ngöndro (Tib. sNgon ’gro) Literally ‘before going’ - preparation, preliminary practices - often assumed to mean the Four-Fold Tantric Ngöndro (Tib. rGyud pa’i sNgon ’gro) of 100,000 prostrations, 100,000 mandala offerings, 100,000 Dorje Sempa recitations, and 100,000 practices of Lama’i Naljor. It can also refer to the Aro gTér Four Naljors ngöndro and to 'The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind to Practice'as the ngöndro for Sutra.ngowo-ku (Skt. svabhavikakaya) Essence ku, essence kaya. Also dorje ku/vajrakaya - The Fourth kaya, which expresses the indivisibility of the three kayas.Nyingma (Tib. rNying ma) Ancient or old translation lineage. The oldest school of Buddhist Tantra, brought to Tibet in the eighth century. The Nyingma tradition is actually a school by default, as it only developed as a separate ‘school’ in response to the introduction of new schools (Sarma) from the eleventh century onwards.Padmasambhava (Tib. Pemajungne - padma ’byung gnas) ‘Lotus-born’, the male Tantric Buddha, and consort of Khandro Chenmo Yeshé Tsogyel.Prajnaparamita Sutra (Tib. sNying-mDo) Literally ‘Sutra of the Wisdom that Reaches the Other Shore’ - often called ‘the perfection of wisdom’. The Heart Sutra,

whose essential statement is: ‘Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form’.six realms (Tib. rigs drug, Tib. gati) Mind-states associated with the predominance of various distorted emotions. Traditionally, physical locations to which one could be reborn as a result of positive or negative karma. 1) hell beings (Tib. narakas) - anger; 2) hungry ghosts (Tib. pretas) - attraction; 3) animals - ignorance; 4) humans - attraction; 5) jealous gods (Tib. asuras) - jealousy/paranoia; 6) gods (Tib. devas) - pride.Sutra (Tib. mDo) According the Nyingma School, the first three yanas: Sravakayana, Pratyekabuddhayana, Mahayana = Bodhisattvabuddhayana. The vehicle that moves towards emptiness and whose principle is renunciation.Tantra (Tib. gyüd) Literally ‘thread’, ‘continuity’. The teachings of Buddhism which have as their basis the principle of transformation.Three terrible oaths ‘Whatever happens, may it happen. Whichever way it goes, may it go that way. There is no purpose.’ A Dzogchen practice of view, positively willing each situation to be exactly as it is - associated with Dorje Tröllö.Vajra Master (Tib. Dorje Löpon, Tib. Vajra Acharya) The Lama according to the view of Tantra and Dzogchen.Yeshé Tsogyel (Tib. ye shes mTsho rGyal) The female Tantric Buddha. The spiritual consort of Padmasambhava.