ENGLISH-TIBETAN DICTIONARY OF KEY SPIRITUAL TERMS CONTENTS: 1. Introduction to the Electronic Version 2. How to Use This Dictionary 3. List of Abbreviations Grammatical Abbreviations Biblical Source Abbreviations Source Text Abbreviations 4. The Wylie Transliteration System 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE ELECTRONIC VERSION Introduction: The 3.5 inch computer disk opens a world of references to the student of Tibetan language who lacks the space, the energy, or the airline baggage allowance to carry around a library of heavy books. For these reasons, the English Tibetan Dictionary of Key Spiritual Terms is available on DOS-formatted IBM compatible 3.5" disks in generic word processor (or ASCII) format. The text of the dictionary has been prepared using the standard Wylie transliteration system so that no special software for viewing or printing Tibetan characters is required. Given appropriate format conversions, anyone with a computer and a word-processing program should be able to use this dictionary. Instructions: Place the disk in the disk drive of your computer. Using your file-management software, copy the file from the 3.5" disk to a directory of your choice on your hard disk. You can then retrieve and view the file using your word-processing software. Most such software has the ability to search for a given word; you can use this to find a word you want to look up, either in English, or, if you know the Wylie transliteration system, in Tibetan. If your software lacks this ability you can look up words as you would in the print version, in English alphabetical order in the main text, or in Tibetan alphabetical order in the index. The distribution disk contains four files: README.1ST introduction to the dictionary MAINENT a list of main English entries INDEX.TE a list of subentries in Tibetan alphabetical order DICTION.ARY the main dictionary 2. HOW TO USE THIS DICTIONARY This English-Tibetan Dictionary of Key Spiritual Terms is intended to help you in language learning, cross-cultural studies, Bible study or translation, and evangelistic writing or speaking. The 243 English main entries and 624 subentries are illustrated with thousands of examples from the Tibetan Bible, the Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, modern books, newspapers, and magazines from every major dialect area; from the 8th to the 20th centuries; and from Buddhist, Christian, Marxist, and Islamic authors. The meaning of most of these terms has been checked against the understanding of educated native speakers both inside and outside Tibet and China. The intent has been to represent the whole spectrum of written Tibetan without relying on existing texts or dictionaries (though these are quoted when helpful). A key spiritual term is a Biblical word or phrase whose meaning must be clearly understood in order to share the Gospel (e.g. God, grace, salvation). To a basic list of such terms prepared by Katy Barnwell has been added over a hundred additional terms important in Bible translation or ministry to Tibetan Buddhists. Each English main entry is followed by one or more Tibetan subentries with a transliteration in the standard Wylie system. The Tibetan subentries are not listed in alphabetical order, but in order of how closely their meanings approximate that of the English main entry; e.g. for the main entry "Commandment" the Tibetan subentry {bka'} (command, authoritative word) comes before the subentry {gdams ngag} (counsel or advice). Each Tibetan subentry is illustrated with Biblical examples (marked "Biblical:") and most are illustrated with examples of how the same term is used in a Tibetan Buddhist (marked "Buddhist:") or secular (marked "Secular:") sense. To give added insight, many entries include Tibetan proverbs (marked Proverbs:) and a list of selected terms sharing at least one syllable with the subentry (marked "Cognates:"). Many entries conclude with a list of terms related to the main entry as synonyms, antonyms, or in other ways (marked "Related Terms:"). Examples are documented with a three letter code indicating their source; a list of these codes follows. A list of all English main entries appears in the front, and a 1600 item Tibetan - English index may be found at the back. To use this dictionary most effectively, please note the following points: 1) The dictionary was prepared from a linguistic rather than a theological perspective, so entries for major topics like atonement, grace, or forgiveness do not offer the sort of full theological explanation one would find in a Bible dictionary. 2) The listings under "Biblical:" are simply examples of how a given term has been used in various Bible translations; no endorsement that these are the best or even valid translations is implied. One must read the entries under "Buddhist:" to understand completely the meaning, context, and associations of a given term. 3) Entries for Tibetan terms do not necessarily reflect the full range of secular meanings of each term; some meanings are unlisted. A copy of this text is available in print format. The author wishes to thank those people who must remain anonymous but who helped in checking meanings with educated native speakers, who contributed books, magazines, and other printed material, and who gave their time, trouble, and effort to make this dictionary possible. "These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (Jn. 20:31 NIV) 3. ABBREVIATIONS Grammatical Abbreviations: [lit.] = literal meaning of component syllables [var.] = variant spelling [hon.] = honorific p. = past stem f. = future stem imp. = imperative [Gr.] = Greek [Heb.] = Hebrew [Ch.] = Chinese [Skt.] = Sanskrit Bsm. = Buddhism Bst. = Buddhist Biblical Source Abbreviations: Unmarked quotations from the Tibetan Bible are taken from the 1948 Tibetan Old Testament or the 1968 Revised New Testament. Quotations marked "SV" are taken from the BFBS "Shanghai" New Testament (1933) reprinted by the Bible Society of India (1984). OT = Old Testament NT = New Testament Source Text Abbreviations: (AMD) unpublished notes from an educated native speaker of Amdo Tibetan (1995). (ATM) Alphabetum Tibetanum Missionum Apostolaricum Commodo Editum (Rome 1762) quoted in Tibetan Studies (Kommission Fur Zentralasiatische Studien, Munich 1988 p. 223-9). (BAL) Buddhism and Language, Jose I. Cabezon, (Albany, State University of New York Press, 1994). (BFT) Bright Future for Tibet's Children, in "China's Tibet" Summer 1993, p. 19-21. (BGT) Tibetan Riddles, (Tibet People's Publishing House 1991). (BLI) Buddha's Lions: The Lives of the Eighty Four Siddhas, James B. Robinson, trans., (Berkeley, Dharma Publishing, 1979). (BTP) Collected Tibetan Proverbs (Tibetan People's Press, 1990). (BTT) Buddhism in the Tibetan Tradition: A Guide, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1984). (CNG) A Tibetan Book of Lists, (Xining: Qinghai Nationalities Publishing House, 1992). (CTL) The Classical Tibetan Language, Stephen Beyer, (Albany, State University of New York, 1992). (DBG) English-Tibetan-Chinese Dictionary, Tashi Tshering, (Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House, 1988). (DCC) Commentary on the Diamond Cutter Sutra, in Asian Classics Input Project Release 3, Asian Classics Input Project, (Washington DC: ACIP 1993). (DLP) A Human Approach to World Peace, Tenzin Gyatso [14th Dalai Lama], (Dharamsala: Central Tibetan Secretariat, 1989). (DLS) World Geography (Xining: Qinghai Nationalities Publishing House, 1988). (DMP) The Tibetan Dhammapada, (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1985). (DPD) A Story of Times Past, (Kathmandu: privately published, 1995). (EBN) unpublished notes from an educated speaker of Tibetan (1995). (ETD) English-Tibetan Dictionary of Modern Tibetan, Melvyn Goldstein (Berkeley: University of California, 1984). (FLD) A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night, Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama, (Boston and London: Shambhala, 1994). (GSL) The Thirty Seven Practices of All Buddha's Sons, Thogme Zangpo, (Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1989). (HSU) The Heart Sutra, in Heart of Wisdom, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, (London: Tharpa Publications, 1986). (HTE) Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones, Patrul Rinpoche, Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones, (Boston: Shambhala, 1992). (JPG) Joyful Path of Good Fortune, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, (London: Tharpa Publications, 1990). (JFS) unpublished filmscript for the film "Jesus". (KBT) A Manual of Key Buddhist Terms, Lotsawa Kaba Paltseg, trans. Thupten K. Rikey & Andrew Ruskin, (Dharamsala, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1992). (KPU) Tibetan text of: Kha Che Pha Lu's Tibetan Proverbs. (KTM) Key Terms in the NT Based on Semantic Domains, [anonymous] (unpublished manuscript). (LKT) Lokatitastava, from Master of Wisdom (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1986). (MHP) Memorial Hall for the Tenth Bainqen, in "China's Tibet" (Summer 1993, p. 7-11). (MTB) Meaningful to Behold, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, (London: Tharpa Publications, 1994.) (NTV) unpublished draft of 2nd Samuel. (NPP) Notes on the Three Principal Paths, in Asian Classics Input Project Release 3, Asian Classics Input Project, (Washington DC: ACIP 1993). (REF) Going for Refuge, in "Class Four Textbook" p. 114-116, (Dharamsala, 1991). (RRT) The Rhetoric of Dissent: Tibetan Pamphleteers, Elliot Sperling, in Resistance and Reform in Tibet, Robert Barnett, ed., (London: Hurst 1994). (SBC-1) "Victor Hugo" in Gentle Rain (periodical) No. 2, 1994. (SGC) Dictionary of Buddhist Terms, (Xining: Qinghai Nationalities Publishing House, 1992). (SGN) The Life of the Buddha Dept. of Education, Central Tibetan Administration, (Dharamsala 1990). (SLR) The Standard of Living Can Be Raised in "China's Tibet" (Spring 1991, p. 7 - 16). (TBT) Translating Buddhism From Tibetan, Joe B. Wilson (Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 1992). (TCR) Teachers and Students, Doctors and Patients, in Qinghai Nationalities Publishing House, Xining, Oct. 15, 1993. (TDC) The Great Tibetan Chinese Dictionary [3 vols.] (Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House, 1985). (TMB) Traditional Medicine Benefits Modern Society, in "China's Tibet" (Summer 1993, p. 22-25). (TQP) Tibetan Quadrisyllabics, Phrases, and Idioms; Acarya Sangye T. Naga and Tsepak Rigzin, (Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1994). (TRC) Lectures on Tibetan Religious Culture, Geshe Lhundup Sopa, Univ. of Wisconsin, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, 1983. (TRI) Tibetan English Dictionary of Buddhist Terminology Tsepak Rigzin, Revised Edition, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, 1993. (UCO) Training the Mind in Seven Points, by Geshe Chekhawa, in Universal Compassion, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, (London: Tharpa Publications, 1988). 4. THE WYLIE TRANSLITERATION SYSTEM The Wylie transliteration system is a standard way of spelling Tibetan words using Roman letters. It is used in this electronic dictionary so that you will not need any special software for viewing the text; anyone with a computer can use a text set in Wylie and saved in generic word processor (ASCII) format. Please note that the Wylie system is a transliteration system for representing the spelling of Tibetan words, not a transcription system for representing pronunciation. An accompanying guide shows you how the system works.