Tibetan-English-Dictionary of Buddhist Teaching & Practice:
© 1996 Rangjung Yeshe Translations & Publications
in cooperation with the Diamond Way Buddhism Network.

The Dharma Dictionary is a compilation of:

• verified entries from existing dictionaries, word-lists and glossaries selected on a practical usage basis
• terminology used by translators of the present day who have received extensive teachings from living Buddhist masters
• selected definitions and clarifications from classical literary works
• information of literary personages, sacred places, and names of scriptures.

Due to numerous requests, the staff of the Dharma Dictionary Project have decided to make the work available to users -- students, scholars and translators of Tibetan Buddhist literature -- in order to further the spreading and understanding of the precious teachings.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Tibetan-English-Dictionary

• DAS, S. CH.: A Tibetan-English Dictionary with Sanscrit synonyms, rev. by Gr. Sandberg and A.W. Heyde. Calcutta, 1902. XXXIV + 1353 p.; reprint in China, 1951.
• GOULD, B. and H.E. RICHARDSON: Tibetan Word Book, Oxford University Press, 1943. XVII + 447 p.
• JÄSCHKE, H.A.: A Tibetan-English Dictionary. London, 1881. XVII + 671 p.; reprint: 1934, 1949, 1959.
• SEMICOV, B.V., PARFIONOVIC, J.M. and B.D. DANDARON: Kratkij Tibetsko-Russkij Slovar´. Moskva 1963. 581 p.
• OSANIN, I.M.: Kitajsko-Russkij Slovar´. Moskva 1959. 1100 p.
• Hàn dé cídiân (Chinesisch-Deutsches Wörterbuch). Beijing: Shangwù yingshuguan, 1959. 789 p.

• Körösi Csoma Sándor (1834)
• Isaak Jakob Schmidt (1841; 1843)
• Heinrich August Jäschke (1866; 1871-76; 1881)
• Abbé C.H. Desgodins (1899)
• Saratchandra Das (1902)

bkra shis - 1) auspiciousness, good luck, good fortune, goodness, prosperity, happiness. 2) auspicious, favorable, fortunate, successful, felicitous, lucky. 3) verse of auspiciousness; benediction, blessing. 4) a personal name.
bde legs - 1) goodness, happiness, well-being, welfare, auspiciousness, good furtune. 2) well, fine.
phun sum tshogs - 1) abundant, plentiful, prosperous, splendid, sublime, supreme, wonderful, perfect, perfect and complete, satisfying, desirable, fortuitous, auspicious. 2) perfection, prosperity, wealth, abundance, excellence, abundant excellence, excellent abundance, glory.
rma rin chen mchog - Rinchen Chok of Ma. Early Tibetan translator, among the first seven Tibetans to take ordination from Shantarakshita and the chief recipient of the Magical Net of Mahayoga. He is known for translating the Essence of Secrets Guhyagarbha Tantra, the chief tantra of Mahayoga. Through the teachings he received form Padmasambhava he attained the level of a vidyadhara. Rinchen Chok means 'Sublime Jewel.'
yid ches pa - 1) to have faith in, have trust; believe, have conviction in. 2) confidence, conviction, trust, belief. 3) sincerely, confidently. 4) proof. 5) believable, trustworthy, reliable.

The search in the Tibetan-English Dictionary accepts input only in the form of Roman, ASCII characters. The dictionary has adopted the Standardized Transliteration System published by Turrell Wylie, which is the most widely used Roman-Tibetan transliteration system.

Turrell Wylie: "A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription," Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 22, 1959, p.261-67 .

The dictionary search will return successful search results of the English translations not only for the word itself, but also will return hits for phrases in which the word occurs as part of the phrase. It behaves like a "grep" function.

Additionally if you enter an English phrase all entries are shown where these phrases are part of the Tibetan-English entry.

Thanks to people who helped the project

We extend our thanks to all the people, venerable as well as ordinary, who have directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly, contributed to the hotchpotch presented here.

First to the sponsors of the project without whose contributions, the work would be impossible:

• Jamgön Kongtrül Rinpoche, III
• Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche
• George MacDonald
• The Nalanda Indivual Assistance Trust
• Gerry Wiener

To the ones who endorsed the project and thereby helped raised funds and assistance:

• Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
• Jamgön Kongtrül Rinpoche
• Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

To the people the dictionary benefitted from directly, by my fortune to receive teachings from, study with, or translate for, (not listed in order of priority; also I apologize for not having kept up with the latest levels of titles -- all the lamas are respectively venerable, precious, very venerable, eminent or holy). Thanks to everyone:

• Alak Senkar Rinpoche
• Ayang Tulku Rinpoche
• Bairo Rinpoche
• Bakha Tulku Rinpoche
• Beru Khyentse Rinpoche
• Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
• Chhoje Tulku Rinpoche
• Chogye Trichen Rinpoche
• Chokling Rinpoche, Mingyur Dewey Dorje
• Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche whose influence has been priceless
• Dabzang Rinpoche
• Dakpo Tulku
• Dalai Lama, His Holiness
• Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
• Dodrub Chen Rinpoche
• Dorzong Rinpoche
• Drungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche
• Dudjom Rinpoche
• Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
• Dzogchen Khenpo Chögah
• Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche
• Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
• Goshi Gyaltsab Rinpoche
• Gyalsey Tulku Rinpoche
• Gyalwang Karmapa
• Gyatrul Rinpoche
• Jamgön Kontrül Rinpoche
• Jigmey Khyentse Nüden Dorje
• Jigmey Norbu Rinpoche
• Kalu Rinpoche
• Karma Trinley Rinpoche
• Kaybje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
• Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
• Khenpo Chadral
• Khenpo Chödrak
• Khenpo Chödzin
• Khenpo Chökyi Gocha
• Khenpo Drukchung
• Khenpo Ngedön
• Khenpo Palden Sherab
• Khenpo Pema Sherab
• Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso
• Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche
• Khyentse Yeshe Rinpoche
• Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche
• Kyabje Khenpo Tashi Palden
• Lama Putsi Rinpoche
• Lama Rigsang Dorje
• Lama Tobgyal, crazy yogi
• Lama Tubten and Lama Lodrö, resident lamas in Denmark in the late '70es
• Lama Wangdor Rinpoche, meditator master at the Tsopema caves
• Mingyur Rinpoche, Tulku of Yonge Mingyur Dorje
• Minling Trichen Rinpoche
• Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche
• Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche
• Özer Tulku
• Sakya Tridzin Rinpoche
• Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
• Shelkar "Amchi" Rinpoche
• Sogyal Rinpoche
• Soktse Rinpoche
• Sönam Tobgyal Rinpoche
• Taklung Tsetrul Pema Wangyal Rinpoche, a true nirmanakaya in the guise of a bodhisattva
• Tarab Tulku
• Tarig Tulku Rinpoche
• Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche
• Tenga Rinpoche
• Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
• Trulshik Rinpoche
• Tsok-nyi Rinpoche
• Tulku Chögyal Rinpoche
• Tulku Pema Rigdzin
• Tulku Rangdröl
• Tulku Sang-ngak Rinpoche
• Tulku Thondup Rinpoche
• Zatrul Rinpoche

Special thanks to:

• the members of Nalanda Translation Commitee in Boulder and Halifax, especially Gerry Wiener, Larry Mermelstein, Tony Duff, Ives Waldo, Scott Wellenbach, and others Mathieu Ricard, French translator and assistant to Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
• the members of Padmakara Translation Group in France
• the members of Kalu Rinpoche's translation group in Sonada
• the members of Marpa School of Translation in Boudhanath
• the members of Lama Norlha's translation group in New York
• the members of the Yeshe De Project in Berkeley
• the members of the translation commitee for A Treasury of Mahayana Sutras, headed by the late Garma C. Chang

and to:

• Allan Walace
• Andreas Kretschmar
• Ani Jinpa Palmo, nun from Holland
• Ani Lodrö Palmo, American nun
• Ani Ngawang Chödrön, Marilyn Silverstone
• Ann Benson
• Bo Colomby
• Chökyi Nyima Richard Barron, the translator of Chagdud Rinpoche
• David Christiansen
• Erik Haarh, late teacher of Tibetan at University of Copenhagen
• Geraldo Abboud, translator from Argentina
• Gyurme Dorje, translator from Scotland
• Hannah and Ole Nydahl who gave much encouragement
• Jacob Leschley
• Jules Levinson
• Kiki Ekselius
• Lama "Akhu" Pema Yugyal
• Lama Dennis, Kalu Rinpoche's tireless translator
• Lama Lodru, first resident lama in Denmark who taught me the ka-kha-ga-nga
• Lama Namze, emissary of Kalu Rinpoche
• Lama Ngawang, translator of Kalu Rinpoche
• Lisa Anderson
• Marcia Binder Schmidt
• Matthew Kapstein
• Michelle Martin
• Maruta Kalnins
• Namdol Gyatso Lama
• Ngawang Sonam, principal at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery
• Ngawang, Tibetan teacher in Copenhagen
• Peter Goldfarb
• Peter Roberts
• Professor Norbu in Darjeeling
• Sangye Khandro, translator of Gyatrul Rinpoche
• Sarah Harding
• Shakya Dorje, Canadian translator
• Sister Palmo, Mrs Bedi
• Steven Goodman
• Tony Duff

Through their work and writings, published or unpublished, words these people have used have greatly helped in the compiling of the dictionary:

• Akong Rinpoche
• Alex Wayman
• Alexander Berzin
• Ato Rinpoche
• Chimey
• Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
• Christian Lindtner
• Constance Wilkinson
• Cyrus Stearns
• Dagyab Rinpoche
• Daniel Cozort
• David Jackson
• Dhongthog Rinpoche
• Dorje Wangchuk
• Edward Conze
• Elizabeth Napper
• Flemming Faber
• Francesca Fremantle
• Garma C. Chang
• Gene Smith
• Geoffrey Hopkins
• Geshe Kalsang
• Geshe Lundrup Sopa
• Geshe Wangyal
• Guy Newland
• Herbert Guenther
• Jaeschke
• James Valby
• Janice Willis
• Jay "lama Ngawang" Goldberg
• Joe Wilson
• John Reynolds
• Judith Hanson
• Junsiro Takakusu
• Karl-Franz Erhard
• Katia and Ken Holmes
• Keith Dowman
• Khandro Rinpoche, the daughter of Minling Trichen
• Lama Kazi Dawa Samdup
• Lama Norlha
• Lama Rinchen, resident Lama in New York
• Lama Yeshe Rinpoche
• Lati Rinpoche
• Lobsang Lhalungpa
• Lokesh Chandra for his Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary
• Martin Wilson
• Melvin Goldstein
• Michael Roach
• Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
• Robert Thurman
• Sarat Chandra Das
• Shenphen and Michael Hookham
• Stephen Batchelor
• Tsepak Rigdzin for his Dictionary
• Tubten Zopa Rinpoche

and lastly, thanks to the staff at Rangjung Yeshe Translations & Publications in Boudhanath, and to the other people who directly have contributed to the efforts of compiling and editing of this work:

• Andreas and Monika Kretchmar
• Ani Lodrö Palmo
• Ben Rosenschweig
• Chris Gianottis
• Dorrit Wagner
• Felice Bachman
• George MacDonald
• Graham Sunstein
• Heidi Doctor
• Jacob Leschley
• Judy Amzits
• Kathy Morris
• Marcia Binder Schmidt
• Maria Pelaez
• Mathieu Ricard
• Phinjo Sherpa
• Thomas Doctor
• Tina Lang
• Tracy from Australia

Thanks again to everyone named here as well as all of you who have worked on presenting the Dharma preserved in Tibetan to the rest of the world.

Erik Pema Kunsang (Erik Hein Schmidt)
chief editor
Rangjung Yeshe Translations & Publications
PO Box 1200
Kathmandu, Nepal