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11 - Tibetan Buddhism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Stephen J. Laumakis
Affiliation:
University of St Thomas, Minnesota
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Summary

Key terms and teachings

Bodhicitta: Sanskrit term for “thought of enlightenment/awakening.” In Mahayana Buddhism it refers to the enlightened mind of a bodhisattva.

Dharani: Sanskrit term for an extended mantra used to focus the mind and help it retain teachings.

Guru: Sanskrit term for “teacher,” commonly found in the Vajrayana tradition.

Dalai Lama: Literally “Great Ocean” (dalai) “Teacher” (lama), the title designates the temporal and spiritual leader of Tibet. The Mongol ruler, Altan Khan, originally bestowed the title upon the “third” Dalai Lama.

Mahamudra: Sanskrit term for “Great Seal,” in Vajrayana Buddhism it refers to the meditative practices that lead to enlightenment, and insight into the unity of wisdom and compassion and samsara and emptiness.

Mandala: Sanskrit term for a sacred circle that symbolically represents the world and what exists. In Tantric Buddhism it is thought to represent the mind, body, and speech of a Buddha and is used in meditation practices.

Mantra: Sanskrit term for sacred sounds that are thought to possess supernatural/spiritual powers.

Mudra: Sanskrit term meaning “seal” or “sign,” it refers to a symbolic gesture using the hands or body to represent an aspect of the Buddha's teaching.

Why study Tibetan Buddhism?

The purpose of the final two chapters of Part III is to complete our account of the “Development of the Dhamma/Dharma” by considering the features of Tibetan Buddhism and the particular ideas and teachings of two influential and popular teachers of contemporary Buddhism – the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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  • Tibetan Buddhism
  • Stephen J. Laumakis, University of St Thomas, Minnesota
  • Book: An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800818.016
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  • Tibetan Buddhism
  • Stephen J. Laumakis, University of St Thomas, Minnesota
  • Book: An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800818.016
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Tibetan Buddhism
  • Stephen J. Laumakis, University of St Thomas, Minnesota
  • Book: An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800818.016
Available formats
×