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Dictionary of Key Spiritual Terms


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Wylie | Tibetan

darkness

  1. mun pa/ 

    Biblical: dark, darkness: 1) absence of light: chu tshod gsum pa'i bar du yul thams cad mun pas 'thibs/  darkness came over all the land until the third (NIV: sixth) hour (Mt. 27:45), 2) figurative darkness, especially moral darkness, sin, or the lack of God's revelation: mun par sdod pa/  those who live in darkness (Mt. 4:16), 'od de mun pa'i nang du shar/  the light shines in the darkness (Jn. 1:5), phan med kyi mun pa'i bya ba/  fruitless deeds of darkness (Eph. 5:11), mun pa 'das shing yang dag pa'i 'od shar/  the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining (1 Jn. 2:8).

    Buddhist: 1) In Bst. writing, darkness is usually equated with ignorance: gti mug gi mun pa/  the darkness of ignorance (TRC 166), mun bskal/  [lit. dark age] an age in which there is no Buddha (SGC 634), mun gling /  a place where Buddhism has not spread (SGC 634); 2) may also be used figuratively: sems la mun pa babs pa lta bu'i rmugs pa/  torpor like darkness falling on the mind (TRC 186).

  2. mun nag

    [lit. dark + black]

    Biblical: blackest darkness, pitch black: phyi rol gyi mun nag the darkness outside (Mt. 22:13), mun nag dang /,,smag rum dang /,,rlung drag darkness, gloom, and storm (Heb. 12:18), de'i rgyal khams mun nag tu byas nas/  his kingdom was plunged into darkness (Rev. 16:10).

    Buddhist: khang pa mun nag zhig a pitch-dark house (TRC 167).

    Secular: spyi tshogs kyi mun nag social darkness (SBC-1 62).