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Glossary

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Pandit

(skt.: pandita; tib.: khe pa) Scholar; used for accomplished Indian and Tibetan Buddhist masters; a learned man.

Paramita

(skt.: paramita; tib.: par chin drug/pa rol tu chin pa) Perfection. Literal translation of Tibetan is went to the other side. These are the six virtues, or perfections, that the Bodhisattva must perfect during his development in order to reach Buddhahood. Six perfections belong to the sutra part of the Mahayana path which is called also Paramitayana, the Perfection Vehicle.

Pecha

(tib.: pecha) Text or book written in Tibetan language. These books have a specific oblong shape and pages are usually stored between wooden plates and wrapped in cloth. Pages are unbound and printed on both sides. Pechas can be stored in the cubbyholes, small end to the fore, with a cloth label hanging from the visible end. Pechas were often printed on rice paper or other poor quality materials. The alternative was to copy each text by hand. Now pechas are usually printed by more modern means.

Perfection

(skt.: paramita; tib.: par chin drug/pa rol tu chin pa) Perfection. Literal translation of Tibetan is went to the other side. These are the six virtues, or perfections, that the Bodhisattva must perfect during his development in order to reach Buddhahood. Six perfections belong to the sutra part of the Mahayana path which is called also Paramitayana, the Perfection Vehicle.

Prajnaparamita
(skt.: prajnaparamita; tib.: she rab kyi pha rol tu chin pa) Literally means Perfection of Wisdom. It can refer to several things:
- textual perfection of wisdom: prajnaparamita sutras which are the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. They are classified in three groups: long (100.000 verses), middle (20.000 verses) and short (8.000 verses) prajnaparamita sutras. All of them primarily explain the wisdom of emptiness and the path of the bodhisattva, so they are mahayana sutras. They are associated with the second turning of the wheel of Dharma. There are about 40 sutras which belong to the group of prajnaparamita sutras like Heart Sutra, Diamond cutter Sutra, etc. The most important interpreter of these sutras was Arya Nagarjuna (lived at around second century) who on the basis of these sutras set the middle way philosophy, which is considered supreme presentation of the wisdom of emptiness.
- natural perfection of wisdom: refers to emptiness
- path perfection of wisdom: wisdom of bodhisattva imbued with wisdom of emptiness and bodhicitta
- result perfection of wisdom: refers to omniscience of a Buddha
- Deity Great Mother (tib.: yum chen mo): said to be the Mother of all the Buddhas, because the perfection of wisdom produces all the Buddhas.
Pratimoksha vows

(skt.: pratimoksha; tib.: so tar kyi dom pa) Individual freedom vows. The main subject of Vinaya, division of the Buddhist scriptures concerned with monastic discipline - the rules for the behavior of monks and nuns and the conduct of their communal business.

Pratyekabuddha

(skt.: pratyekabuddha; tib.: rang gyel, rang sang gye) Usually translated as Self Made Buddha or Solitarily Enlightened one. It refers to those Hinayana practitioners who, with the motivation of renouncing the Samsara and to achieve permanent happines for themselves, strive to reach Nirvana. They do not rely on a teacher in that lifetime to reach their aim. However, they had been taught by teachers in previous lifetimes. They attain Nirvana mainly through contemplation on the Twelve links of dependant origination in reverse order. 

Preliminary practices

(tib.: ngon dro) Literally, to go before or preliminary. These practices are found in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and are usually done 100,000 times each; there are many preliminary practices, but the four main ones are usually: recitation of refuge and bodhicitta prayer, mandala offering, prostrations, Vajrasattva mantra recitation. Sometimes the four main ones are: guru yoga, Vajrasattva mantra recitation, prostrations and mandala offerings. The Gelug tradition adds five more: guru yoga, water bowl offerings, Damtsig Dorje purifiyng meditation, making tsa-tsas (small sacred images, usually made of clay), Dorje Khadro burnt offering.

Puja

(skt.: puja; tib.: cho pa) Literally means offering. It refers to offering ritual during which we make offering to realized beings. There are several kinds of pujas like guru puja (tib.: lama cho pa), fire puja, etc. Sometimes during pujas there is also a ritual feast, which is called tsog.

Pureland

(tib.: dag zhing) A Buddhas land is said to be blissful and free from impurity and is therefore called a pure land. It is said that any noise which we hear in a pure realm is like a Dharma teaching. These realms are presided over by various Buddhas such as Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Maitreya who presides over Tushita. There are many purelands, since every Buddha has his own pureland.

Purification

(tib.: sgrib yang) The removal and cleansing of negative karmas and imprints from the mind, which would otherwise ripen into suffering. The most effective methods of purification employ the four opponent powers of reliance, regret, resolution and the application of antidotes. More well known practices for purification are Vajrasattva mantras or prostrations to 35 Buddhas.

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Words of Wisdom

"Do not entertain hopes for realization, but practice all your life."
- Milarepa

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