Dzogchen terms and definitions around mind and consciousness

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weitsicht
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Dzogchen terms and definitions around mind and consciousness

Post by weitsicht »

I am looking for a table that displays all the terms around mind and consciousness, their Tibetan and Sanskrit corresponding term and a definition.
That table can be extended with translators' various preferences and the like.

Reason is I got lost in these many terms, I cannot mentally map them and I need it brief and to the point. I am easily loosing attention in long texts.

I you need some examples: ground consciousness, pristine awareness, awareness, rigpa, yeshe, sherab, mind, samadhi

Does someone have a table you wouldn't mind to share?
Ho! All the possible appearances and existences of samsara and nirvana have the same source, yet two paths and two results arise as the magical display of awareness and unawareness.
HO NANG SRI KHOR DAE THAMCHE KUN ZHI CHIG LAM NYI DRAE BU NYI RIG DANG MA RIG CHOM THRUL TE
Täpa
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Re: Dzogchen terms and definitions around mind and consciousness

Post by Täpa »

Hello,

The rigpa wiki can be helpful to search up technical terms.
But i like to tell you that I read a few texts from different translators/teachers, with the same kind of subject and all of them can use different translations or interpretations for some technicals terms, which sheds a total different light on the meaning concerning certain parts. Therefore it is important to develop trust in the competences of the teacher/translator you are reading/learning from.
The differences of the meaning of the terms itself also vary between different subjects and settings. This makes Tibetan texts like secret writing which only a qualified lama understand.
Tibetan Buddhist language is relatively young in the west and also the English language is relatively new to Tibetan Lama's. And do not forget the cultural differences.

Hope this helps. Best regards.
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Dzogchen terms and definitions around mind and consciousness

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

weitsicht wrote: Wed Oct 26, 2022 2:11 pm I am looking for a table that displays all the terms around mind and consciousness, their Tibetan and Sanskrit corresponding term and a definition.
That table can be extended with translators' various preferences and the like.

Reason is I got lost in these many terms, I cannot mentally map them and I need it brief and to the point. I am easily loosing attention in long texts.

I you need some examples: ground consciousness, pristine awareness, awareness, rigpa, yeshe, sherab, mind, samadhi

Does someone have a table you wouldn't mind to share?
IME the best thing here if you do not speak Tibetan is know people that do and ask for detailed explanations of terms.

Eventually you get to where even with no skill in the language yourself you can say “oh here they translated such and such term in an idiosyncratic way”, then you can decide to kind of mentally reference a better explanation or translation. It helped to do the same sadhana as over the years this kind of consultation gave me a much deeper idea about what was going on.
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
Natan
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Re: Dzogchen terms and definitions around mind and consciousness

Post by Natan »

weitsicht wrote: Wed Oct 26, 2022 2:11 pm I am looking for a table that displays all the terms around mind and consciousness, their Tibetan and Sanskrit corresponding term and a definition.
That table can be extended with translators' various preferences and the like.

Reason is I got lost in these many terms, I cannot mentally map them and I need it brief and to the point. I am easily loosing attention in long texts.

I you need some examples: ground consciousness, pristine awareness, awareness, rigpa, yeshe, sherab, mind, samadhi

Does someone have a table you wouldn't mind to share?
It's helps if you get your understanding of Dzogchen up. [All] ground consciousness in Dzogchen texts usually refers to the lower system of Yogacara where ground consciousness is translated from Alayavijnana. This is the basic ignorance that carries the karmic seeds which is common in Mahayana and most Vajrayana tantras as the basis for all the mandalas and such. Dzogchen is going reference this as a point of departure and call this sems or ordinary deludedness, because the common vehicles are the path of transformation, meaning one takes oneself to be deluded and uses methods to transform that into Buddhahood.

Dzogchen asserts this is unnecessary. From there Dzogchenpas will reference a gzhi which is often translated as the ground or the basis is something else. This will be a references to the mind's nature as "Primordial purity," meaning, in Dzogchen it's taught that one does not need to endure stages of purification to see whatever is the most subtle aspect of mind itself aka rigpa, often. Translated as pristine awareness.

So you've got this natural field called dharmadhatu or in Tibetan gzhi this is the primordial purity. Then there's the one looking that's the vidhya or in Tibetan rigpa. When when you see the natural field it's called wisdom or Sherab, because that's how one curtails the process of deludedness before it has a chance to get started, and because they don't get started all these good Buddha qualities get going.
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Re: Dzogchen terms and definitions around mind and consciousness

Post by tingdzin »

weitsicht wrote: Wed Oct 26, 2022 2:11 pm Does someone have a table you wouldn't mind to share?
Quite number of Dzogxchen translators have a glossary in the rear of their translations, and some of them even offer explanations. Whatever you do, don't get caught by a single definition, especially those propounded by confident newbies.
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