A Beginner's Glossary

Bodhisattva This Sanskrit name is given to anyone who, motivated by great compassion, has generated bodhichitta, which is a spontaneous wish to realize his or her full potential, enlightenment, for the benefit of all living beings.

Buddha An enlightened being--someone who has realized his or her full spiritual potential and now possesses perfect wisdom, compassion, and skill. There are countless Buddhas. Normally when we talk about "the Buddha" we are referring to Buddha Shakyamuni, who appeared in this world over two and a half thousand years ago and revealed how to attain enlightenment.

Dharma The teachings of Buddha and the inner protection we gain from realizing those teachings ourselves.

Drolma The Tibetan for "Tara", a popular female Buddha who embodies and grants fearlessness and quick wisdom.

Gompa The meditation room.

Highest Yoga Tantra There are four levels of Tantric practice, and this is the highest. It includes, for example, the Tantric practices of Vajrayogini, a female Buddha of wisdom.

Hinayana The "Lesser Vehicle" of Buddhism, a system of teachings and practices for those whose goal is personal liberation from all forms of suffering.

Je Tsongkhapa (AD 1357-1419). The original founder of our tradition. Geshe Kelsang's 19 books are all based on Je Tsongkhapa's 19 commentaries to Buddha's teachings. Often referred to in Tibet as "the second Buddha," he was an emanation of the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri, whose appearance in Tibet was prophesied by Buddha.

Kadam The title of a qualified teacher of Kadampa Buddhism.

Kadampa A person who sincerely practices Lamrim, the cycle of 21 meditations (described in The New Meditation Handbook), and who integrates all of the teachings that they know into their Lamrim practice and their daily lives.

Kancha The name of a Buddha's Pure Land, a realm beyond suffering, which we attain through purifying and transforming our mind.

Lamrim A Tibetan term, literally meaning "stages of the path". A special arrangement of all Buddha's teachings that is easy to understand and put into practice. It reveals all the stages of the path to enlightenment.

Mahayana The "Greater Vehicle" of Buddhism, a system of teachings and practices for those whose goal is enlightenment for the benefit of all.

Mala Prayer beads.

Mantra A Sanskrit word, literally meaning "mind protection". Reciting the mantra of a particular Buddha helps us gain his or her inner qualities.

Meditation A method for working on the mind. First we learn how to identify our different positive and negative mental states, and then we apply methods for eliminating negative states and cultivating positive ones.

Merit Good karma, the potential power for happiness and spiritual realizations that we create by engaging in positive actions.

New Kadampa Tradition The international union of Kadampa Buddhist Centers under the spiritual guidance of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

Parbawatiya (Pronounced "Par-bah-wah-tee-ya"). The name of a female Buddha of Wisdom. This Sanskrit name literally means "Radiant Dawn" and refers to the blissful wisdom consciousness of an enlightened being.

Prostrations A physical, verbal, or mental action, denoting humility and respect.

Puja A Sanskrit word, literally meaning "offering". A prayer and meditation practice usually related to a particular Buddha, done in order to receive his or her blessings on our way to attaining his or her realizations and pure, virtuous qualities.

Sadhana Loosely speaking, the booklet containing the words of a particular spiritual practice; literally, this Sanskrit word means "method for receiving attainments".

Samudrabadra Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's name in Sanskrit, meaning "Ocean of Good Fortune".

Sangha The spiritual community of those sincerely following the same spiritual path.

Vajrapani Vajrapani is a Buddha who is the embodiment of the skill and spiritual power of all enlightened beings.