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	main authors of masters quoted in Rangjung Yeshe books, with brief biographical outlines
	biographical sources related to Blazing Splendor, the lineage of the New Treasures of Chokgyur Lingpa, and the lineage masters
	Glossary for Blazing Splendor, the memoirs of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
	lineages, scriptures, deities, sacred places, etc.
	Blazing Blog, an ongoing weblog with pictures and articles, reviews and comments

	abra - local type of mouse-hare or prairie dog.
	Abum Rinchen Pungpa - Mount Abum; situated eight hours' drive on dirt roads from Sharda in Nangchen. The mountain where Dechen Ling is situated.
	accomplishment - realization; signs of accomplishment include clairvoyant abilities, miraculous powers, and the inner heat of tummo .
	Achen - the highly respected prince of Nangchen, whose life was saved as an infant by Samten Gyatso. He was alive into the late 1980s, in spite of having spent many years in prison camps.
	Adeu Rinpoche - guru of the Nangchen kings whose monastery, Tsechu, is located next to the former royal palace.
	Adzom Drukpa (1842-1924) - Drodul Pawo Dorje; one of the great Dzogchen masters of the early part of the twentieth Century, a terton and a disciple both of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Paltrul Rinpoche.
	all-ground - alaya, a sentient being's basic state of mind; 'expanse of the all-ground' refers to the vastness of basic being.
	amban - Chinese ambassador in Lhasa.
	Amdo - one of the provinces of Kham.
	Amnye - region of East Tibet.
	amrita - nectar of immortality; drink of the gods; tantric rituals often use blessed liquor or fruit juice.
	Angi Tendar - yogi from Nangchen; disciple of the first Tsoknyi.
	Anu or Anu Yoga - second of the three inner tantras corresponding to the eighth of the nine vehicles; emphasizes knowledge (prajna ) rather than means (upaya ) and the completion stage rather than the development stage. The view of Anu Yoga is that liberation is attained through growing accustomed to the insight into the nondual nature of space and wisdom.
	Argong - see Ngaktrin of Argong.
	arhats, sixteen - disciples of the Buddha who vowed to preserve the Dharma until the coming of Maitreya, the future awakened one.
	Armor Against Darkness - Munpey Gocha; commentary on Anu Yoga in more than 1,400 pages by Sangye Yeshe of Nub, according to an original tantra known as the Scripture of the Great Assemblage. The Armor has since been published in Delhi, India, as part of Dudjom Rinpoche's monumental publishing effort to preserve the early teachings of the Nyingma school. It is in volume 50-51 of his Nyingma Kahma edition.
	Asura or Asura Cave - sacred place where the Lotus-Born master subdued the evil forces of afflicting negative conditions on Nepal through the practice of Vajra Kilaya and manifested the Mahamudra Vidyadhara level. Situated near Pharping in the Kathmandu valley.
	Ati or Ati Yoga - third of the three inner tantras; emphasizes, according to Jamgon Kongtrul the First, the view that liberation is attained through growing accustomed to insight into the nature of primordial enlightenment, free from accepting and rejecting, hope and fear. The more common word for Ati Yoga nowadays is 'Dzogchen,' the Great Perfection.
	Atisha - great Indian master who visited Tibet; from him springs the Kadampa and then the Gelugpa lineages.
	Avalokiteshvara - bodhisattva of compassion, often depicted with four arms.
	Banyak Ating - Rai Bahadur Burmiok Athing (1902-1988), chief minister of Sikkim and benefactor of Tulku Urgyen.
	bardo - intermediate state between death and the next rebirth.
	Barom Kagyu lineage - begins with Dharma Wangchuk of Barom, a disciple of Gampopa.
	Barwey Dorje/Barway Dorje - master based in Raktrul Monastery in Sharda, Nangchen. Present incarnation (third) is Bardor Tulku Rinpoche, living in the USA. His spiritual biography, Precious Essence, is recently published from KTD in Woodstock, NY.
	basic nature of reality - dharmata; unformed and unconditioned nature of things which can be realized in personal experience.
	basic space - fundamental nature of experience.
	Benchen monastery - one of the main Kagyu monasteries in Nangchen; seat of the Sangye Nyenpa incarnations, Chimey tulkus and Tenga Rinpoches. (Click on the color picture to see an old photo of Benchen, from Alexandra David-Neel's collection, 217 kB)
	Black Crown ceremony - ritual of 'liberation through seeing' during which the Karmapa wears the crown exclusively worn by the Gyalwang Karmapas.
	Black Vajra Yogini - important female deity.
	Bodhgaya - site where Lord Buddha attained complete enlightenment situated in Bihar, India.
	bodhisattva vow - pledge to bring every sentient being to liberation and enlightenment.
	Bomta Khenpo - (Polo Khenpo Dorje), disciple of Khenpo Ngakchung.
	Bonpo - religion prevalent in Tibet before the establishment of Buddhism in the 9th Century.
	Boudha; Boudhanath - location of the Great Stupa in the Kathmandu Valley.
	Brahma realm - celestial world of the god Brahma within the Realms of Form.
	buddha activity - activity of an enlightened one to influence other beings and guide them to liberation and enlightenment.
	Buddha Shakyamuni - the historical Buddha, regarded as the chief teacher of our present age.
	Buddha - enlightened or awakened one who has completely abandoned all obscurations and perfected every good quality. A perfected bodhisattva after attaining true and complete enlightenment is known as a buddha. The Buddha generally referred to is Shakyamuni Buddha, the buddha of this era, who lived in India around the 6th century B.C. There have been innumerable buddhas in past eons who manifested the way to enlightenment. In the current Good Aeon - from the beginning to the end of human beings - there will be one thousand buddhas of which Buddha Shakyamuni is the fourth.
	buddhafield - see pure lands
	Buddhaguhya - renowned Indian master who visited Mount Kailash at the time of King Trisong Deutsen and transmitted the Guhyagarbha tantra to the Tibetan translator Jnana Kumara of Nyag.
	buddhahood - state of true and complete enlightenment, endowed with the ability to benefit countless other beings.
	Bumtang Valley - sacred valley in mid-Eastern Bhutan, traditional home to the master Pema Lingpa.
	Calling the Guru from Afar - famous devotional chant written by Jamgon Kongtrul.
	Chakrasamvara - main yidam deity and tantra of the New Schools.
	Chamdo - province south of Nangchen, presently included within the Tibet Autonomous Region.
	Chandali, the Mother of Longevity - consort of Buddha Amitayus; in Blazing Splendor a mind treasure of the first Khyentse, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo.
	chang - Tibetan beer brewed primarily from barley.
	Chanting the Names of Manjushri - Manjushri Nama Sangirti Expressed in Songs of Praise. A tantra in six hundred verses belonging to Kriya Yoga known to all Tibetan Buddhists as Jampal Tsenjo. It is text number 424 in the Tsamdrag edition of Collected Nyingma Tantras (Nyingma Gybum). Translated as Chanting the Names of Manjushri, A. Wayman, Shambhala Publications.
	Chetsun Nyingtig - see Heart Essence of Chetsun.
	Chetsun Senge Wangchuk (11th-12th cent.) - great master of the Nyingma lineage. As a result of his high level of realization, his physical body disappeared in rainbow light at the time of death. See also Heart Essence of Chetsun.
	Chimey Dorje (1884-1948?) - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's father and an adept Cho practitioner.
	chinghu - religious dignity which is one rank below goshir but still higher than a wang. See also tishi .
	Chini Lama - lama of Chinese descent who was the custodian of the Great Stupa of Boudhanath.
	Chogyal Dorje - the first Tsoknyi's guru.
	Chogyal Pakpa (1235-1280) - Sakya master and nephew of Sakya Pandita; ruled Tibet and was preceptor to the Mongolian Kublai Khan.
	Chokgyur Lingpa (1829-1870) - important revealer of hidden treasure from Padmasambhava; Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's great-grandfather.
	Chokling of Tsikey - Tsikey Chokling; the incarnations of Chokgyur Lingpa residing at Tsikey monastery. Presently there are two, one in Boudhanath, Nepal and one in Tsikey monastery, Tibet.
	Chokling - short for Chokgyur Lingpa; see also Chokling of Tsikey, Chokling of Neten.
	Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche - oldest son of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, and abbot of Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Boudha, Nepal.
	Chokyong Gongdu - terma revealed by Chokgyur Lingpa related to the protectors of the Dharma.
	Cho - The practice of cutting through attachment to body and ego. See also Machik's Complete Explanation: Clarifying the Meaning of Chod by Sarah Harding, Snow Lion Publications.
	Chowang Tulku - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's immediate former life.
	chuba - traditional Tibetan dress used by lay people for both men and women, but with different style and folds.
	cognitive obscuration - most subtle veil that covers our buddha nature; consists of holding notions of subject, object and interaction. See also emotional obscuration.
	collapse of delusion - disappearance of erroneous ideas and concepts; rather than saying that someone "attained realization" the phrase shows realization's the real nature - that something extraneous has vanished, just like when the sun is cleared from clouds.
	Collected Nyingma Tantras - Nyingma Gyubum; Literally the One Hundred Thousand Nyingma Tantras. The website for The Collected Tantras of the Ancients at Virginia University lists around 388 different titles.
	composure - state of meditation or equanimity; often opposed to post-meditation, the state of involvement in daily activities.
	Dabzang Rinpoche (?-1992) - Dilyak Dabzang; master at Dilyak monastery in Nangchen and an emanation of Gampopa. The late Dabzang Rinpoche counted Kyungtrul Kargyam as one of his main teachers.
	Dagger of the Sevenfold Profundity - Zabdun Purpa, belongs to the cycle of Kilaya, which is one of the seven sets of revelations among the Sevenfold Profundity, a terma treasure revealed by Chokgyur Lingpa. "Dagger" stands for Kilaya. This practice was also performed at Tsurphu.
	dakini script - code script, symbolic script or writing used by the dakinis.
	dakini - goddess or female tantric deities who protect and serve the tantric doctrine.
	Dakpo Kagyu - synonym for the Kagyu lineages, since Gampopa became known as the master from Dakpo.
	Darma Wangchuk - Gampopa's disciple who founded the Barom monastery in northern Lato and who is regarded as the father of the lineage. The Barom ('Ba-rom) Kagyu was founded by Barom Darma Wangchuk. He built Barom monastery, from which the tradition took its name.
	Dartsedo - Chinese name:Ta-Chien-Lu/ Kangding; the old border town between Kham and China.
	Dechen Ling - hermitage where Chimey Dorje spent half his life.
	Denkhog - district located in the Derge province.
*	Depuk Rinpoche - master from south-western Tibet; built a monastery in Solu Khumbhu, Nepal.
	Derge - large independent kingdom in Kham that used to occupy the present-day counties of Jomda, Derge, Palyul, and Sershul.
	development and completion - two main aspects of Vajrayana practice; development stage means positive mental fabrication while completion stage means resting in the unfabricated nature of mind.
	Deypa Tulku - one of Chokgyur Lingpa's four close disciples who spread his teachings in eastern Tibet.
	Dezhin Shekpa (1384-1415) - the fifth Karmapa, who performed numerous miracles in China and was given the famous black crown by Emperor Yunglo (Yongle) after converting him to Buddhism.
	Dharma protector - nonhumans who vow to protect and guard the teachings of the Buddha and its followers; can be either 'mundane' i.e. virtuous samsaric beings or 'wisdom protectors' who are emanations of buddhas or bodhisattvas.
	Dharmadhatu - realm of phenomena; the suchness in which emptiness and dependent origination are inseparable; nature of mind and phenomena that lies beyond arising, dwelling and ceasing.
	dharmakaya - see kayas.
	Dharmaraja - religious rulers, Dharma kings.
	Dharma - teaching of the Buddha.
	Dilgo Khyentse (1910-1991) - one the five immediate re-embodiments of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. Regarded by followers of all four schools as one of the foremost recent masters of Tibetan Buddhism. In the early days of his life, Tulku Urgyen first knew him as Tulku Salgah or Rabsel Dawa.
	Dilyak Drubpon (1908-1963) - accomplished meditator who completed numerous three year retreats at Dilyak monastery; retreat master at Tsurphu.
	Dilyak monastery - Dabzang Rinpoche's monastery in Nangchen, founded by the first Dabzang Rinpoche.
	Do Khyentse
	Dorje Ziji - one of the names of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (Old Khyentse); means Indestructible Resplendence.
	Drag Yerpa - One of five sacred places blessed by Padmasambhava. Situated 30 km north-east of Lhasa, it is famous for caves used for meditation by the Lotus-Born master and his consort Yeshe Tsogyal, as well as by the 10th century scholar Atisha.
	Drakda - birthplace of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche near the Life-Lake of Yeshe Tsogyal (Tsogyal Lhatso), situated at Drakda some 20 km from Samye.
	drasho - rank of government official in Bhutan.
	Drepung - one of the three major Gelukpa monasteries around Lhasa.
	Drigung - major branch of the Kagyu lineage, founded by Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon (1143-1217), a disciple of Phamo Drupa.
	Drimey Dashar - one of Padmasambhava's twenty-five disciples.
	Droma - a sweet root used as a delicacy; sweet potato of Tibet.
	Drong Gompa - the monastery of Lama Tendzin Dorje, Chokyi Nyima's previous life - which is situated several days' journey north of Lhasa on the route to Kham through Nakchukha. Drong means wild yak. Other names includes Drong-ngur, Bong.
	Dronyer - an attendant in charge of receiving guests.
	Drowo - Valley of Birches, residence of Marpa the Translator, presently in Lhodrak county in southern Tibet. Read more.
	drubchen - "great accomplishment practice"; an elaborate tantric practice undertaken by a group of people which goes on uninterruptedly for seven days.
	drubdra - the "practice center" where the traditional three-year retreat takes place.
	Druk Sang-Ngak Choling - The seat of the Drukchen Jamgon. Literally, the "Dharma Garden of Secret Mantrayana" at Jar in southern Tibet was built by the fourth Drukchen, Pema Karpo (1527-1592) who transferred the seat of the Drukpa Order to this place.
	Drukchen - respectfully referred to as the Drukchen Jamgon. His monastery's name is Druk Sang-Ngak Choling. The Drukchen incarnation in residence at Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche early childhood was Mipham Chokyi Wangpo (1884-1930) whose principal guru was the great siddha, Drubwang Shakya Shri.
	Drukpa Kagyu - The Kagyu teachings transmitted from Gampopa through Phamo Drubpa to Lingje Repa.
	Drukpa Yongdzin Rinpoche - a prominent Drukpa Kagyu master of Central Tibet.
	Dudjom Rinpoche (1904-1987) - incarnation of the great treasure revealer Dudjom Lingpa. He was the supreme head of the Nyingma lineage after exile from Tibet and is regarded as one of the most prominent scholars of our time.
	Dudul - Samten Gyatso's attendant and Tulku Urgyen's childhood friend.
	dur - ritual performed after someone's death to disengage certain spirits from the vital energy of the deceased which otherwise can slow down or create obstacles to liberation in the bardo.
	duruka - negative influences mentioned in old prophecies as three kinds: invading armies, infectious diseases, and material substances.
	Dusolma - protector; a female guardian protector of the Buddhist teachings.
	Dusum Khyenpa (1110-1193) - first Karmapa and disciple of Gampopa.
	Dzigar Kongtrul - one of the main an incarnations of Jamgon Kongtrul the first. His present tulku is the youngest son of Neten Chokling.
	Dzogchen - Also known as Great Perfection and Ati Yoga. The highest teachings of the Nyingma School of the Early Translations. The early lineage masters include Garab Dorje, Manjushrimitra, Shri Singha, Jnanasutra, Vimalamitra, Padmasambhava and Vairotsana. Numerous Dzogchen teachings were concealed as termas treasures by these masters and revealed through the following centuries. These teachings are embodied in the oral instructions one receives personally from a qualified master.
	Dzongsar Khyentse (1893-1959) - Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro of Dzongsar monastery; one of the five immediate reincarnations of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. He upheld the Rimey (nonsectarian) tradition, and was one of the two main root gurus of Dilgo Khyentse.
	Dzongsar monastery - the seat of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo in Derge county, home of the famous Buddhist college and subsequently the seat of the successor, Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro.
	Dzongsho - also Sugata Assemblage of Dzongsho, the sacred place of hidden qualities where Chokgyur Lingpa revealed implements belonging to the master Padmasambhava, the abbot Shantarakshita and the king Trisong Deutsen. The great terton also revealed a guidebook explaining the lay-out and benefits of practicing there.
	earth terma - A revelation based on physical substance, often in the form of dakini script, a vajra, a statue, etc. See also 'mind terma.'
	egolessness - the fact that the seemingly real identity in a person or phenomenon cannot be found to be of a permanent, partless and independent nature.
	eight classes of spirits - the sutras mention: devas, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. All of them were able to receive and practice the teachings of the Buddha. These eight classes can also refer to various types of mundane spirits who can cause either help or harm, but remain invisible to normal human beings: ging, mara, tsen, yaksha, raksha, mamo, rahula, and naga. On a subtle level, they are regarded as the impure manifestation of the eight types of consciousness.
	eight herukas - eight wrathful manifestations of the eight main bodhisattvas. They symbolize the transformation of the eight consciousnesses.
	Eight Sadhana Teachings - Eight Commands; eight chief yidam deities of Mahayoga and their corresponding tantras and sadhanas: Manjushri Body, Lotus Speech, Vishuddha Mind, Nectar Quality, Kilaya Activity, Liberating Sorcery of Mother Deities, Maledictory Fierce Mantra, and Mundane Worship.
	Eighteen Mahayoga Tantras - eighteen important scriptures translated into Tibetan during the time of the king Trisong Deutsen.
	emanation basis - the enlightened being in a buddhafield who emanates or 'incarnates' into the world.
	emanation - a magical creation or divinely manifested rebirth of a buddha or past enlightened master.
	Embodiment of Realization - (Tukdrub Gongpa Kundu) A terma treasure revealed by Chokgyur Lingpa that combines all levels of guru sadhana.
	empowerment for the play of awareness - The empowerment for practicing Dzogchen or Mahamudra. Sometimes it also refers to a stage of realization achieved through Dzogchen practice.
	empowerment - The conferring of power or authorization to practice the Vajrayana teachings, the indispensable entrance door to tantric practice. Empowerment gives control over one's innate vajra body, vajra speech and vajra mind and the authority to regard forms as deity, sounds as mantra and thoughts as wisdom.
	emptiness - The fact that phenomena and the ego are empty of, or lack, independent true existence.
	entrustment - for instance to the life force of Tseringma; a short empowerment ritual, usually for receiving the blessings of the body, speech and mind of the deity.
	eruption test - a local spirit may challenge the yogi's stability in meditation by creating magical apparitions of varying degrees of intensity.
	Essence Manual of Oral Instruction - (Sheldam Nyingjang Yishin Norbu) the first volume of Chokgyur Lingpa's New Treasures and the major scripture in the Tukdrub Barchey Kunsel cycle. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche regarded this important text as being a tantra in itself.
	essence, nature, and capacity - The three aspects buddha nature according to the Dzogchen system. Essence is the primordially pure wisdom of emptiness. The nature is the spontaneously present wisdom of cognizance. The capacity is the all-pervasive wisdom of indivisibility. This is, ultimately, the identity of the Three Roots, the Three Jewels and the three kayas.
	evil influence - the influence of mischievous spirits that can cause misfortune and/or disease.
	exhaustion of concepts and phenomena - the fourth of four levels of realization in Dzogchen practice. To quote Tsele Natsok Rangdrol: "the body, experiences, sense faculties and all thought forms become exhausted, so there is no way one can avoid attaining enlightenment and dissolving into the space of dharmata beyond thought and description."
	five sciences - language; dialectics; science of medicine; science of arts and crafts; religious philosophy.
	Fortress Peak - Dzong-Go Ling, the lofty hermitage of Samten Gyatso and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche administrated by Lachab monastery, which lies one day's horse ride away. In recent years it has been rebuilt by the incarnation of Samten Gyatso.
	Four Branches of Heart Essence, the - (Nyingtig Yabzhi), one of the most famous collections of Dzogchen scriptures, in which Longchenpa combined the streams of teachings from Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra together with his own mind treasures.
	four levels of Dzogchen and Mahamudra - four visions in Dzogchen practice: dharmata in actuality, increase in experience, culmination of awareness and exhaustion of phenomena. Four stages in Mahamudra practice: one-pointedness, simplicity, one taste, and nonmeditation.
	four mind-changings - The reflections of the four mind-changings cover the topics of precious human body, impermanence, karma and samsaric suffering. These contemplations are like loosening up the hard soil and preparing a field to be fertile and ready to grow the seeds of enlightenment.
	four modes and six limits - The indispensable keys for unlocking the meaning of the tantras. The four modes are the literal, general, hidden, and the ultimate. The six limits are the views of the expedient and definitive meaning, the implied and the not implied, the literal and the not literal.
	Four-Armed Mahakala - guardian protector of the teachings.
	Ga Lotsawa - great siddha and translator who visited India; also known as Palchen Galo ['Galo' is an abbreviation of Ga Lotsawa, or "the translator of the Ga clan"]. He stayed at Nalanda monastery and meditated in the Cool Grove Charnel Ground, where he had a vision of a wisdom-protector and received predictions. [tur]
	Galo - see Ga Lotsawa.
	Gampo or Dakla Gampo - the mountain where Gampopa lived, in the southeastern part of Central Tibet.
	Gampopa (1079-1153) - forefather of all the Kagyu lineages; foremost disciple of Milarepa who possessed both supreme realization and great scholarship. He was the author of The Jewel Ornament of Liberation. More details can be found in The Life of Milarepa and The Rain of Wisdom, Shambhala Publications.
	Ganapati - a monkey-faced guardian of the Buddha's teachings.
	Ganden - major Gelukpa monastery near Lhasa, founded in 1409 by Tsongkhapa.[map]
	Gangtok - capital of the former (up to 1975) independent kingdom Sikkim, situated between Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and India.
	Gar Drubchen - A Tibetan accomplished master of the Drigung Kagyu school who was an emanation of Nagarjuna and also Phamo Drupa (1110-70), one of the three foremost disciples of Gampopa.
	Garab Dorje - Prahevajra; incarnation of a god who earlier had been empowered by the buddhas. Immaculately conceived, his mother was a nun, the daughter of King Dhahena Talo of Uddiyana. Garab Dorje received all the tantras, scriptures and oral instructions of Dzogchen from Vajrasattva and Vajrapani in person and became the first human master in the Dzogchen lineage. Having reached the state of complete enlightenment through the effortless Great Perfection, Garab Dorje transmitted the teachings to his retinue of exceptional beings. Manjushrimitra is regarded as his chief disciple. Padmasambhava is also known to have received the transmission of the Dzogchen tantras directly from Garab Dorje's wisdom form. Garab Dorje means 'Indestructible joy.'
	garuda - The mythological bird, able to travel from one end of the universe to the other with a single movement of its wings. It is also known to hatch from the egg fully developed and ready to soar through the sky.
	Gathering Palace of Sugatas - (Deshek Dupey Podrang). The hermitage of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo above Dzongsar monastery. Sugata is a synonym for a buddha.
	Gebchak - gompa, monastery. Retreat center and nunnery founded by Tsang-Yang Gyatso, half a day's horse ride from Fortress Peak or Lachab.
	Gelug - The Tibetan school of Buddhism founded by Tsongkhapa as a reformation of the tradition of Atisha Dipamkara.
	genyen - the twenty-one genyen, guardian spirits of the Dharma who, when Padmasambhava was in Tibet, were bound under oath to protect the Buddha's teachings.
	Geshe Chayulwa (1075-1138) - a master in the old Kadam tradition who was also one of the teachers of Gampopa, the great Kagyu master.
	geshe - a learned Buddhist scholar or teacher.
	Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain - the terrestrial pure land of Padmasambhava.
	Golden Garland Chronicles, the - the extensive biography of the Lotus-Born master, Padmasambhava; a terma revealed by Sangye Lingpa (1340-1396).
	Golok - large province in northeastern Kham.
	Gomde, the Land of Meditators - a name for Nangchen.
	gomdra - meditation retreat, often for groups staying three years in seclusion, where the practice is focused on Dzogchen or Mahamudra. Compare with drubdra.
	Gompa - a monastery or temple hall connected to a hermitage.
	gonchung - a shrine room, often small for the Dharma protectors.
	Gongdu - Assemblage of Realization, or 'gathering all the intentions into one'; a name used for certain revealed treasures, for instance Yidam Gongdu.
	gonla - the lama in charge of the chants for the protectors.
	goshir - religious rank, see tishi.
	Great Mother of Transcendent Knowledge, the - the twelve thick volumes of the Prajnaparamita scriptures, one of the most famous sutras in Mahayana.
	Great Perfection - Dzogchen; the third of the three inner tantras of the Nyingma School. The Great Perfection is the ultimate of all the 84,000 profound and extensive sections of the Dharma, the realization of Buddha Samantabhadra, exactly as it is. Synonym for 'Dzogchen' or 'Ati Yoga.'
	Great Scroll Depicting the Hundred Wondrous Deeds - the famous Tsurphu Scroll an early Ming dynasty silk-backed painting with Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Uighur and Arabic inscriptions. It depicts the miracles performed by the Fifth Karmapa Dezhin Shekpa during his 22-day visit to the Yunglo (Yongle) emperor in Nanjing in 1407. The emperor also offered the Karmapa the famous Black Hat, which he had seen in a vision during a religious ceremony.
	Great Stupa of Boudha - The Jarung Khashor Stupa at Boudhanath, Nepal, situated in the Kathmandu Valley. For details, see Keith Dowman, The Legend of the Great Stupa.
	Guhyagarbha - the Tantra on the Essence of Secrets, which is the most vital of all the tantras in the Old School (Nyingma) of Tibetan Buddhism.
	gungtreng - the Chinese name for communists.
	Guru Chowang (1212-1270) - one of the five terton kings and former life of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. For details, see Dudjom Rinpoche's The Nyingma Lineage, its History and Fundamentals, pages 760-70.
	Guru Mahasukha - Great Bliss Master, a peaceful form of Padmasambhava, usually depicted as wearing the pandita hat and with hands in equanimity.
	guru yoga - the final and most important part of the preliminary practices. The practice of supplicating for blessings and mingling the mind of an enlightened master with one's own mind.
	gyaling - a reed instrument close to the Persian shanai and one of the principal ritual instruments in Tibetan Buddhism.
	Gyalpo Pehar - a powerful spirit and guardian of the Dharma; the Dharma protector of Samye.
	Gyalwa Cho-Yang - one of Padmasambhava's twenty-five disciples.
	Gyalwang - King of All the Buddhas, a special title for certain lamas such as the Karmapa or the Drukchen.
	Hayagriva - Tantric deity shown with a horse's head within his flaming hair; wrathful aspect of Buddha Amitabha. Identical with Padma Heruka, Lotus Speech, among the Eight Sadhana Teachings .
	hearing lineage - given from the master's voice to the disciple's ears, and only to one person at a time, rather than being a printed text.
	Heart Essence of Chetsun - (Chetsun Nyingtig), one of the most important Dzogchen instructions of recent times, revealed by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo.
	Heart Essence of Samantabhadra - (Kunzang Tuktig), one of the most important Dzogchen instructions of recent times, revealed by Chokgyur Lingpa.
	Heart Essence of the Great Perfection - (Dzogchen Nyingtig ), teachings of Dzogchen brought to Tibet by Vimalamitra and Padmasambhava as for instance arranged by Longchenpa in the Four Branches of Heart Essence, the Nyingtig Yabzhi.
	Heru Gompa - a monastery in Nangchen near Tana south of Lachab; the seat of Kyungtrul Kargyam.
	heruka - a wrathful deity, for instance Hayagriva or Vajra Kilaya.
	Hinayana; Mahayana; Vajrayana - the three levels of the Buddha's teachings.
	Hinayana - The vehicles focused on contemplation of the four noble truths and the twelve links of dependent origination, the practice of which brings liberation from cyclic existence, samsara.
	hundred peaceful and wrathful deities - The 42 peaceful and 58 wrathful deities. The are often related to the after-death experience of the bardo state. The details are found in the Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo .
	hungry ghost - One of the six classes of sentient beings, tormented by their own impure karmic perception, which causes them to suffer tremendously from craving, hunger and thirst.
	Inexhaustible Garland of Lightning - a petition chant to the guardians of the Dharma, especially those who protect the Dzogchen teachings.
	inner heat, blissful - see tummo yoga
	Jambhala, Black - a particular manifestation of Jambhala, the god of wealth.
	Jamdrak - Dru Jamyang Drakpa. A close disciple of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and a very learned master. one of the destined disciples predicted in the root text Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo. We have a delightful story of him in Blazing Splendor on pages 219-225 with a short excerpt. Tricycle Magazine also featured him in the article "Modest Master", August, 2005, p 46.
	Jamgon Kongtrul - Lodro Thaye (1813-1899); prophesized by the Buddha Shakyamuni in the King of Samadhi Sutra and by Padmasambhava in many of his termas. He studied and mastered all the Buddha's teachings. His primary teachers were the Fourteenth Karmapa, Situ Pema Nyinje Wangpo and the Great Khyentse. He became the teacher of the fifteenth Karmapa, Khakyab Dorje. He is renowned as an accomplished master, scholar, writer, poet, and artist, and authored and compiled more than 100 volumes of scriptures. Among these, the best known is the Five Treasuries. In Splendor he is referred to as Old Kongtrul or simply Kongtrul.
	Jamgon: loving protector - a title used for the greatest masters, for instance the first Kongtrul or the Drukchen.
	Jampal Tsultrim - one of the fifteenth Karmapa's chief disciples.
	Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-92) - the first Khyentse; great master of the last century. He was the last of the Five Great Tertons and was regarded as the combined reincarnation of Vimalamitra and King Trisong Deutsen. He became the master and teacher of all the Buddhist schools of Tibet and the founder of the Rimey movement. There are ten volumes of his works in addition to his termas. Jamyang means 'Manjushri, gentle melodiousness,' Khyentse Wangpo means 'Lord of loving wisdom.' In this book he is referred to as Old Khyentse or simply Khyentse.
	Jangchub Shonnu - Lumey Dorje's nephew and successor; early master in the Barom Kagyu lineage.
	Jatson Nyingpo (1585-1656) - revealer of terma, especially known for the Konchok Chidu teachings.
	Jewel Garland, the - a long collection of Cho songs composed by the third Karmapa and codified by Karma Chagmey.
	Jigmey Lingpa (1729-1798) - reincarnation of Longchenpa, revealed the famous Nyingtig cycle, the Innermost Essence. Among his immediate reincarnations are counted Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Paltrul Rinpoche and Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje.
	Jokhang - the famous temple and most important pilgrimage site in Lhasa, houses the Jowo statue of Buddha Shakyamuni.
	Jokyab - the gifted khenpo sent to receive teachings on Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo from Jamdrak Rinpoche; one of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's teachers.
	Jordruk - One of the Eight Practice Lineages. Literally it means "Six Unions" and is according to the system of Kalachakra.
	Jowo - the Jowo Rinpoche or Jowo Shakyamuni in the Jokhang, the main temple of Lhasa originally called Rasa Trulnang Temple. This statue is said to have been made while Buddha Shakyamuni was still alive and personally blessed by him.
	Kadampa - a follower of the Kadam lineage.
	Kadam - tradition; one of the eight chariots of the practice lineages, brought to Tibet by Atisha Dipamkara in the eleventh century.
	Kagyu - The lineage of teachings brought to Tibet by Lord Marpa, received from the dharmakaya buddha Vajradhara by the Indian siddha Tilopa, Saraha, and others. Transmitted by Naropa and Maitripa to the Tibetan translator Marpa, the lineage was passed on to Milarepa, Gampopa, Karmapa and others. The main emphasis is on the path of means which is the Six doctrines of Naropa, and the path of liberation which is the Mahamudra instructions of Maitripa.
	Kahma - the "long lineage" of the Nyingma school, the canonical scriptures, which has been transmitted in an uninterrupted way from master to disciple since Padmasambhava and before.
	Kailash - the sacred mountain in west Tibet.
	Kalachakra - 'Wheel of Time.' A tantra and a Vajrayana system taught by Buddha Shakyamuni himself, showing the interrelationship between the phenomenal world, the physical body and the mind.
	Kalimpong - city near Darjeeling in northern India, the old trading post between Calcutta and Lhasa.
	Kalpa - Chowang Tulku's attendant.
	Kangsar Khenpo - a Sakya teacher from the Ngor monastery.
	Kangsar - see Mount Kangsar; Samten Kangsar.
	Kangyur - the translated words of the Buddha; the 103 or 104 volumes of the Tibetan canonical scriptures that contain the direct words of Buddha Shakyamuni.
	Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling monastery - founded by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche at the great stupa of Boudhanath in Nepal; abbot and vajra master are Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Chokling Rinpoche.
	Kargah - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's nickname.
	Karma Chagmey (1613-1678) - great saint and terton, belonging to both the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions. His monastery was Neydo (Nemdho) Tashi Choling in Chamdo. Known for his Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen .
	Karma Gon - The monastic seat of the Karmapa incarnations in Kham, situated in Lhato, on the road between Surmang and Chamdo, south of Nangchen. Seat of the first incarnations of Situ Rinpoche.
	Karma Gyaltsen - Kyungtrul Kargyam's main name.
	Karma Lingpa - 14th cent. Terton mostly known for revealing the text now famous as The Tibetan Book of the Dead or more correctly The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo.
	Karma Pakshi (1204-1283) - second Karmapa and therefore the first Karmapa tulku.
	Karmapa - the Karmapa incarnation line. Chokgyur Lingpa predicted the names of the first twenty-five. The present is the seventeenth.
	Karmey Khenpo - Karmey Khenpo's full name was Karmey Khenpo Rinchen Dargye. My teacher, Samten Gyatso, described Karmey Khenpo as "the great terton's disciple, who was a reincarnation of Khenpo Bodhisattva and repeatedly certified by the great masters Khyentse, Kongtrul, and Chokling, and an outstanding master in his own right." [tur]
	Karmey Khentrul - the reincarnation of Karmey Khenpo, the cousin of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.
	Karpo Sabchu - yogi and attendant of Chokgyur Lingpa.
	Karsa Yuri - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's mother.
	Karsey Kongtrul (1904-1953) - alias Jamgon Palden Khyentse Özer, the immediate reincarnation of Old Kongtrul, reborn as the son of the 15th Karmapa. One of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's root gurus.
	Kathmandu - the capital of Nepal.
	Katok monastery - one of the four main monasteries of the Nyingma tradition in Kham. Situated south of Derge, near Palyul.
	Katok Situ (1880-1925) - Chokyi Gyatso; a great scholar from Katok monastery. One of the teachers of Uncle Tersey.
	kayas - the three kayas: dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya. Dharmakaya is the 'body' of enlightened qualities, which is devoid of constructs, like space. Can be either an aspect of the yogi's experience or of final enlightenment. Sambhogakaya is the sublime form of as buddha in the buddhafields endowed with the 'major and minor marks'. Nirmanakaya is the incarnations to influence and benefit sentient beings.
	Kechu River - one of the rivers between Nangchen and Derge; it joins the Tsichu River in front of the Tsikey monastery.
	Khakyab Dorje (1871-1922) - fifteenth Karmapa; disciple of the old Kongtrul and teacher of Karsey Kongtrul.
	Khala Rong-go - the place where Chokgyur Lingpa revealed the terma treasure Tukdrub Barchey Kunsel. Situated in Nangchen on the road between Jekundu and Sharda.
	Kham - independent kingdoms east of Chamdo, including Nangchen, Derge Amdo and Golok; presently occupies parts of the TAR (Tibetan Autonomous Region), Yunnan, Qinghai and Sichuan provinces. It is known as eastern Tibet among non-Tibetans.
	Khampa Gomchen - an eccentric meditator and doctor who passed away in Nepal in the '80s.
	Khampa - a person from one of the regions in Kham.
	Khamtrul Tenpey Nyima (right) (1849-1907) - one of the main masters of the Drukpa Kagyu lineages. His present incarnation resides in Tashi Jong, Himachal Pradesh, India.
	Khandro Chenmo - the Great Dakini of Tsurphu; consort of the fifteenth Karmapa. Her reincarnation, Khandro Rinpoche, lives in Himachal Pradesh, India, but teaches around the world.
	Kharsha Rinpoche - a master from Kharsha (Lahoul) in northern India.
	khenchen - great scholar/khenpo; a title only given to teachers of the highest degree of learning.
	Khenpa Valley - a small hidden place in Bhutan.
	Khenpo Bodhisattva - Usually known under the name Shantarakshita. The Indian pandita and abbot of Vikramashila in India and of Samye who ordained the first Tibetan monks.
	Khenpo Lekshey - teacher at Tsurphu between the fifteenth and sixteenth Karmapas.
	Khenpo Ngakchung (1879-1941) - scholar-teacher at Katok monastic college and a very important reviver of the scholastic lineage of expounding the Dzogchen scriptures. Considered to be incarnation of both Vimalamitra and Longchenpa. Chatral Sangye Dorje is one of his last living disciples. Khenpo Ngakchung got his name because there was an older khenpo with the name Ngawang, so he became the "Younger Khenpo Ngawang." One of his works is available in English with a short biography in the introduction: Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang, A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher (Shambhala Publications, 2004).
	khenpo - a learned teacher in a monastery or the one who gives precepts of monastic ordination.
	Khenpo - see Bomta Khenpo; Kangsar Khenpo; Karmey Khenpo; Khenpo Bodhisattva.
	Khentrul - "Khenpo's reincarnation" here in this book refers to Karmey Khentrul, the tulku of Karmey Khenpo.
	Khunu Rinpoche (1885-1977) - Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen; lama from India who travelled all over Tibet and Kham and became a teacher of the Dalai Lama. For more details, see his book on bodhichitta in English: Vast as the Heavens, Deep as the Sea. He also met Jamdrak and received the Light of Wisdom.
	Khunu - a province in the northern part of Himachal Pradesh, India.
	Khyentse of Palpung - reincarnation of Old Khyentse residing at Palpung monastery.
	Khyentse - see Dilgo Khyentse; Dzongsar Khyentse; Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo; Khyentse of Palpung.
	kilaya dagger - same as kilaya.
	kilaya - dagger used in tantric rituals, often the blade has three sides.
	Kilaya - deity usually known as Vajra Kilaya or Vajra Kumara; wrathful form of Vajrasattva.
	King Jah - Indian king who received the eighteen Mahayoga tantras on the roof of his palace approximately one hundred years after Buddha Shakyamuni's passing. The lineage of these teachings continues to the present day.
	King Nyatri - first ruler of all of Tibet, took the throne in 247 BC.
	King Trisong Deutsen (790-844) - second great Dharma king of Tibet who invited Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita, Vimalamitra, and many other Buddhist teachers to Tibet; built Samye, the great monastery and teaching center modeled after Odantapuri, established Buddhism as the state religion of Tibet, and during his reign the first monks were ordained. He arranged for panditas and lotsawas to translate sacred texts, and he established centers for teaching and practice. Among his later incarnations are Nyang Ral Nyima Özer (1124-1192), Guru Chowang (1212-1270), Jigmey Lingpa (1729-1798), and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892).
	Konchok Gyurmey Tenpey Gyaltsen - second Chokling of Tsikey.
	Konchok Paldron (1858?-1939?) - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's grandmother; daughter of Chokgyur Lingpa. Her name means Precious Lamp of Splendor.
	Kongpo - province near the Indian border, straight east of Lhasa, and southwest of Nangchen.
	Kongtrul - Jamgon Kongtrul; see also Karsey Kongtrul; Dzigar Kongtrul.
	kudung - sacred remains of a master's body, either before or after cremation. Sometimes the entire body was embalmed an enshrined in a stupa, as was the case with Chokgyur Lingpa.
	Kungo Kalsang - son of Chimey Dorje; Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's half brother.
	Kunsang Dechen - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's consort; mother of Chokyi Nyima and Chokling Rinpoches.
	Kunzang Dorje - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's youngest brother; supposedly an incarnation of Neten Chokling.
	Kunzang Tuktig - Heart Essence of Samantabhadra; collection of terma teachings revealed by Chokgyur Lingpa focused on the peaceful and wrathful deities as the development stage and on Trekcho and Togal as the completion stage.
	Kutsab Lhakhang - shrine room dedicated to a special statue representing Padmasambhava.
	kutsab - representative, usually refers to a statue of the Lotus-Born master, Padmasambhava.
	Kyasu Terton - treasure revealer of the Kyasu clan; Kyasu being Chokgyur Lingpa's family name. One wall of Kyasu mansion is still visible an hour's walk from Tsechu monastery in Nangchen.
	Kyipuk - retreat encampment of the great master Shakya Shri, near Druk Sang-Ngak Choling, at Jar in southern Tibet.
	Kyirong - southwest of Lhasa, on the old border of Nepal directly north of Kathmandu.
	Kyungpo clan - same family line as Milarepa; rulers of west Tibet in the days of the early king Songtsen Gampo.
	Kyungpo Naljor (1002-1064) - Tibetan master who brought teachings back from India later known as the Shangpa Kagyu and is thus regarded as its founder; disciple of the female siddha Niguma.
	Kyungpo region - presently situated in Tenchen county, south of Nangchen one the road between Chamdo and Lhasa. Kyungpo is the name of a district in Kham and means garuda.
	Kyungtrul Kargyam - Karma Gyaltsen; one of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's teachers and regarded as one of the emanations of Jamgon Kongtrul the first. Kargyam is an abbreviation of Karma Gyaltsen. The king of Nangchen had four gurus; one of them, Kyungtrul's father, resided at Heru Gompa.
	Lachab monastery/Gompa - Lachab Jangchub Nordzin Choling; main monastery of Samten Gyatso and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche in Nangchen.
	lachen - title of grand master, imperial priest.
	Ladakh - area to the far west of Tibet, presently in India, north of Kashmir.
	Lady Degah - Dechen Chodron; Chokgyur Lingpa's consort and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's great-grandmother. Her name means Dharma Lamp of Great Bliss.
	Lake Manasarovar - famous lake and pilgrimage site near Mount Kailash in west Tibet.
	Lama Latsey - one of Karmey Khenpo's disciples; important holder of the monastic precepts in Kham.
	Lama Putse - learned disciple of the third Chokling of Neten and of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
	Lama Sangdu - terma treasure revealed by Guru Chowang.
	Lamdrey - (Path and Fruit) vital teachings of the Sakya tradition that come from the India master Virupa.
	Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo - spontaneous song by the ninth-century Indian master Padmasambhava, covering the entire Buddhist path to enlightenment, especially that of Vajrayana. Its commentary is the Light of Wisdom .
	Langdarma (king 841-6) - evil oppressor who almost succeeded in eradicating Buddhism in Tibet; brother of King Ralpachen; assassinated by Palgyi Dorje in 906.
	Lhabsang - one of the two potential successors to the fifth Dalai Lama, the other being Sangye Gyamtso.
	Lhacham Kuchok - Her Ladyship; polite way to address the wife of a dignitary.
	Lhagsam - Chokgyur Lingpa's cook.
	Lhakhang - shrine room.
	Lhasa - capital of Tibet.
	Lhodrak - district south of Lhasa, north of Bhutan.
	Lhundrub Teng - Palace of Spontaneous Perfection in Derge; founded by Tangtong Gyalpo (1361-1485); since then the main temple for the Derge Kings.
	Light of Wisdom - famous set of teachings covering the entire Buddhist path to enlightenment, especially that of Vajrayana. Based on Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo, a spontaneous song by the ninth-century Indian master Padmasambhava, this scripture is highly revered and played a pivotal role in Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's education and personal practice. He knew the entire root text by heart and referred to it continually in his own teaching throughout his life.
	lineage holder - disciple who receives a teaching and/or empowerment, realizes its intent and is capable of passing it on to others. A lama may hold many lineages of teaching.
	lineage masters - teachers through whom a certain teaching and/or empowerment has been transmitted.
	Lingpa - title usually referring to a revealer of hidden treasures, for instance Sangye Lingpa, Ratna Lingpa, Chokgyur Lingpa.
	Lion-faced Dakini - one of the chief deities for averting obstacles and negative forces.
	Longchen Nyingtig - Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse; mind treasure of mystical teachings discovered by the great scholar and adept Jigmey Lingpa, transmitted to him by Longchenpa; lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. See Masters of Meditation and Miracles: Lives of the Great Buddhist Masters of India and Tibet, Tulku Thondup, Shambhala Publications 1999.
	Longchenpa (1308-1363) - major lineage master and writer of the Nyingma lineage; an incarnation of Princess Pema Sal, the daughter of King Trisong Deutsen, to whom Guru Rinpoche had entrusted his own lineage of Dzogchen known as Khandro Nyingtig. He is single-handedly regarded as the most important writer on Dzogchen teachings. His works include the Seven Great Treasuries, the Three Trilogies and his commentaries in the Nyingtig Yabzhi. A more detailed account of his life and teachings is found in Buddha Mind by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, Snow Lion, 1989.
	longevity practice - practices for restoring vital energy that has been degenerated and dissipated which causes illness, aging and death to occur.
	Loter Wangpo (1847-1914) - lama from the Ngor monastery in the Tsang province of Central Tibet; one of the principal disciples of both Khyentse and Kongtrul.
	lotsawa - translator of the canonical texts; usually worked with Indian panditas.
	Lotus Essence Tantra - (Pema Nyingpo Gyu), short tantra that gives liberation through hearing or reading.
	Lotus Garuda Fortress - Pema Kyung Dzong, retreat place high up on the mountain above Tsurphu.
	Lotus-Born master - English translation of Padmasambhava.
	Lumey Dorje - of the Tsangsar clan; one of the masters in the Barom Kagyu lineage; Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's ancestor.
	Lungtok of Nyoshul (1829-1901/2) - one of Paltrul Rinpoche's disciples; main teacher of Khenpo Ngakchung.
	Lungtok - childhood name of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's second son. The sixteenth Karmapa later recognized him as the fourth Chokling of Tsikey.
	Machen Pomra - the mighty Amnye Machen Range, also called Magyal Pomra; sacred mountain said to be the abode of Machen Pomra, powerful protector of the Dharma in Tibet.
*	Machik Labdron (1055-1153) - great female master and incarnation of Yeshe Tsogyal who set down the Cho practice of cutting through ego-clinging. Machik Labdron means 'Only Mother Lamp of Dharma.'
	Maha, Anu, and Ati Yoga - short for Mahayoga, Anu Yoga and Ati Yoga; the three inner tantras of the Nyingma school.
	Mahakala - one of the main Dharma protectors; a wrathful form of Avalokiteshvara.
	Mahamudra - literally, 'great seal,' one of the most direct practices for realizing one's buddha nature; system of teachings which is the basic view of Vajrayana practice according to the Sarma or New schools of Kagyu, Gelug, and Sakya - just as Dzogchen is for the Nyingma school.
	Maha - short for Mahayoga; the first of the three inner tantras: Maha, Anu, and Ati Yoga.
	Mahayana - 'greater vehicle;' connotation of 'greater' or 'lesser' refers to scope of aspiration, methods applied and depth of insight. Central to Mahayana practice is the bodhisattva vow to liberate all sentient beings through compassion and insight into emptiness.
	Mahayoga tantras - primarily the eighteen main tantras now contained in the Nyingma Gyubum, chief of which is Guhyagarbha Tantra .
	Mahayoga, Anu Yoga and Ati Yoga - the three inner tantras of the Nyingma school; profound methods for awakening to buddhahood in one lifetime.
	Mahayoga - first of the three inner tantras of the Nyingma school; emphasizes sadhana practice and the view that liberation is attained through growing accustomed to the insight into the indivisibility of the superior two truths - purity and equality. The pure natures of the aggregates, elements and sense factors are the male and female buddhas and bodhisattvas. At the same time, everything that appears and exists is of the equal nature of emptiness.
	Manang - district in northwestern Nepal.
	mandala offering - an offering visualized as the entire universe, as well as the arrangement of offerings in tantric ritual, often placed as a circular, ornate plate. To present a teaching "as a mandala offering" shows the utmost respect for the recipient.
	Mandala - 'center and surrounding;' usually a deity along with its surrounding environment. A mandala is often a symbolic, graphic representation of a tantric deity's realm of existence.
	mani stones - stones carved or engraved with the mani mantra of Avalokiteshvara: OM MANI PADME HUNG. They are often made under commission by a devotee to increase the merit of the living or the dead and placed where other people can benefit from seeing or circumambulating them.
	Manjushri - one of eight main bodhisattvas; personification of the perfection of transcendent knowledge.
	Mao Tse-tung - helmsman of Communism in China; seen by many Tibetans as possessed by a demonic force bent on destroying the Dharma and happiness of sentient beings.
	Mara - demon of obstacles; anything that distracts a practitioner from the Dharma and the pursuit of lasting happiness and liberation.
	Maratika - sacred cave where Padmasambhava and Mandarava attained immortality; these days believed to be in southeastern Nepal.
	Margyenma - one of King Trisong Deutsen's queens who made obstacles for Vairotsana, resulting in his exile.
	Marpa - great forefather of the Kagyu lineage. See Life of Marpa the Translator.
	means and liberation - refer, in the Kagyu context, to Naropa's Six Doctrines and Mahamudra.
	meditative composure - see composure.
	Melemchi - village in the Helambu region (Yolmo), three days walk north of Kathmandu.
	mendrub - sacred medicine made from herbs and relics and consecrated in a particular ritual known as mendrub drubchen .
	metsa - old-fashion fire kit using flint, steel and dry moss or bark.
	Milarepa (1040-1123) - one of the most famous yogis and poets in Tibetan religious history; much of the teachings of the Karma Kagyu schools passed through him. See The Life of Milarepa and The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa. His name means 'Cotton-clad Mila.'
	mind essence - nature of mind. Pointing out the mind essence: the main aim of the 'pointing-out instruction' is to make obvious to the meditator what it is that knows and thinks - not as a theory but a direct experience. See pointing-out instruction.
	Mind Section; Space Section; Instruction Section - the Three Sections of the Great Perfection; after Garab Dorje established the six million four hundred thousand tantras of Dzogchen in the human world, his chief disciple, Manjushrimitra, arranged these tantras into three categories: the Mind Section emphasizing luminosity, the Space Section emphasizing emptiness, and the Instruction Section emphasizing their inseparability. They represent the most profound or subtle spiritual literature present in this world.
	mind treasure or terma - revelation directly within the mind of a great master, without the need for a terma of material substance. The teachings revealed in this way were implanted within the 'indestructible sphere' at the time when the master in a former life was one of Padmasambhava's disciples.
	Mindrolling - one of the two primary Nyingma monasteries in Central Tibet (founded in 1670, by Terdag Lingpa), the other being Dorje Drag.
	mind-stream - individual continuity of consciousness; like the stream of a river, it is neither permanent nor interrupted.
	Mingyur Chodron - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's sister.
	Mingyur Dorje - the tulku of Yongey Mingyur Dorje; he was a disciple of Chokgyur Lingpa and though being a tulku himself was the terton's servant.
	Mipham (1846-1912) - student of Jamgon Kongtrul, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Paltrul Rinpoche. Blessed by Manjushri, he became one of the greatest scholars of his time; his collected works fill more than 30 volumes. His chief disciple was Shechen Gyaltsab Pema Namgyal, the root guru of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
	momo - Chinese style dumplings, filled with meat or cottage cheese.
	Monkey-Faced Ganapati - a protector of the Dharma.
	Mount Dakpo - Dakla Gampo; eight-peaked mountain in the region in Southern Central Tibet.
	Mount Gegyal - presumably in the Gegyal Riwo district southwest of Nangchen, west of Tengchen on the main road from Chamdo to Lhasa.
	Mount Kailash - sacred mountain in west Tibet.
	Mount Kangsar - mountain on the old route between Nangchen and Lhasa.
	Mount Karma - sacred mountain south of Nangchen on the way to Chamdo.
	Mount Sumeru - mythological mountain of giant proportions at the center of our world-system surrounded by the four continents; abode of gods of the Desire Realms. It is encircled by chains of lesser mountains, lakes, continents, and oceans and is said to rise 84,000 leagues above sea-level. Our present world is situated on the southern continent called Jambudvipa.
	mudra - sacred gesture; symbolic hand gesture.
	naga - powerful long-lived serpent-like beings who inhabit bodies of water and often guard great treasure. Nagas belong half to the animal realm and half to the god realm. They generally live in the form of snakes, but many can change into human form.
	Nagi Gompa - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's hermitage on the