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Dictionary of Key Spiritual Terms


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Wylie | Tibetan

joy

  1. dga' ba/ 

    Biblical: joy 1) a characteristic of the Gospel: dga' ba chen po'i phrin bzang po ngas khyed la 'chad do/  I bring you good news of great joy (Lk. 2:10); 2) a gift of God: dga' ba dang zhi bdes 'khengs par mdzod cig may [God] fill you with joy and peace (Rom. 15:13), khyod dga' zhing yi rang bar 'gyur/  he will be a joy and a delight to you (Lk. 1:14); 3) human joy: dga' ba ni yi mug tu sgyur zhig change your joy into gloom (Jas. 4:9).

    Buddhist: joy in the spiritual accomplishments of oneself and others is an important Bst. practice (JPG 78); hence dga' ba/  joy is an element of the four concentrations of advanced Bst. practice (KBT 104), dga' ba yang dag byang chub/  the joy of perfect enlightenment (KBT 58), rab tu dga' ba/  perfect joy - one of the ten boddhisattva grounds (KBT 66), dga' ba bzhi/  the four joys of tantric practice: a) dga' ba/  joy, b) mchog dga'/  great joy, c) khyad dga'/  exalted joy, d) lhan skyes kyi dga' ba/  innate joy (TRI 43), dga' ba tshad med/  immeasurable joy, a Bst. meditational exercise (TRI 43).

  2. dga' ba/ 

    Biblical: to be glad, happy, joyful: dga' zhing mchongs shig rejoice and leap for joy (Lk. 6:23), mag pa'i skad thos nas shin tu dga'o/  rejoices when he hears the bridegroom's voice (Jn. 3:29), rtag tu dga' bar gyur cig be joyful always (1 Thes. 5:16), nged dga' zhing yi rang bar 'gyur ba/  let us rejoice and be glad (Rev. 19:7 SV).

    Buddhist: 1) to please or be pleased: le lo la dga' ba'i glen chos/  a foolish doctrine which pleases laziness (TRC 166), rang gi sku mched gzhon pas rgyal sa 'dzin pa la mi dga' ba/  displeased at his younger brother's having the kingdom (TRC 114), gzhan gyi srog gcod pa la dga' ba/  to take pleasure in killing another (TRC 245); 2) to be happy: dga' skyo dga' gnyis ldan gnang thugs rje che zhu rgyu/  thank you with both happiness and sadness (RRT 282 n. 17), ha cang dga' ba yang med/  neither too happy nor too unhappy (TRC 321), sems ha cang dga' nas gad mo chen po dgod pa/  to laugh much from a very happy heart (KTM); 3) to appreciate, or feel close to: byams brtse dang snying rje byung bar dga' tshor mi byed mkhan su yang med/  there is no one who does not appreciate love and compassion (DLP 15), 'gro ba mi tshang mar dga' nye'i 'du shes/  a feeling of closeness for all human beings (DLP 15); 4) to be better to take a certain course of action: da ni brjod med ngang la gnas na dga'/  now you'd better just keep silent (HTE 202), so so'i bsam blo so sos btang ba dga'/  it is better to make one's own plans (KPU 7); 5) to be glad: dga' ba dang dad pa shugs drag po skyes te/  he was glad and great faith arose (SGN 15), de nas nga sems dga' po byung ngo /  then I was very glad (DPD); 6) to love: bu mo de nga la sems dga' bas na/,,nga yang mo la dga' po byung /  she loved me and I also loved her (DPD).

    Proverbs: dpon po phal cher ngo bstod la dga'/,,bla ma phal cher 'bul ba la dga'/,,byis pa phal cher rtsed mo la dga'/  masters usually like open flattery, lamas usually like gifts, and children usually like games (KTM).

    Cognates: 1) dga' ldan/  Ganden, one of the heavens of the worldly gods (KBT 117), also a famous monastery near Lhasa (DPD), not to be confused with dga' ldan chos 'khor/  another famous monastery in Namling, near Shigatse (DPD), dga' ldan khri pa/  the throne-holder, or abbot, of Ganden Monastery near Lhasa, se 'bras dga' gsum/  Sera, Drepung, and Ganden Monasteries, near Lhasa (TRC 24), dga' ldan pho brang /  seat of the former Tibetan government in Lhasa (DPD); 2) dga' rab dbang phyug the god of desire, lord of the gzhan 'phrul/  heaven (SGC 106); 3) dga' su zhu/  to welcome: phran gyis dga' bsu zhu bzhin yod/  I welcome it (DLP 21), dga' su legs par gnang /  gave a warm welcome (DPD); 4) dga' bde/  peaceful (SGN 13); 5) kun dga' bo/  Ananda [lit. Happy] one of the Buddha's disciples (SGN 22); 6) bya dga'/  a prize or reward (DPD); 7) nyams dga' ba/  comfortable shin tu mdzes shing nyams dga' ba/  very beautiful and comfortable (SLR 14); 8) thugs dgyes pa/  to be pleased (KTM), 9) sems dga'/  to be happy, to have a joyful heart: bka' thos ma thag tu sems dga' zhing blang yang /  the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy (Mt. 13:20).

  3. dga' spro/ 

    [lit. happy + joy]

    Biblical: 1) joy, happiness: nga'i dga' spro 'di tshang ngo /  my joy is now complete (Jn. 3:29), mi zhig skyes pa'i dga' spro/  her joy that a child is born (Jn. 16:21), nye gnas rnams la dga' spro dang thugs nyid kyis khyab par gyur to/  the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:52), thugs nyid kyi 'bras bu ni/,,byams pa dang /,,dga' spro dang /  the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy . . (Gal. 5:22); 2) gladness: de yis rmo mkhan dang rnga mkhan gnyis kar dga' spro byung /  so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together (Jn. 4:36).

  4. spro ba/ 

    p. spros/ 

    Biblical: 1) to be joyful: re ba la spro/  joyful in hope (Rom. 12:12); 2) to be cheerful: snying rje can yin na sems spro bas/  if [one's gift is] showing mercy, [let him do it] cheerfully (Rom. 12:8).

    Buddhist: joy, gladness: dge slong gi cha byad can zhig gzigs pas thugs la spro ba tshad med skyes nas/  seeing a man in monk's robes, he [the Buddha] felt limitless joy (SGN 7).

    Cognates: yul skor spro 'cham/  tourism (SLR 10), lha sa ni yul skor spro 'cham gtong sa'i grong khyer zhig yin/  Lhasa is a tourist city (SLR 10-11), spro gseng gtong bar phebs mkhan/  tourists (SLR 11), spro gseng gtong mkhan mang ba'i skabs/  the tourist season (SLR 11), yul skor spro 'cham khang /  travel agency.

  5. yi rangs/ 

    or yi rang / 

    Biblical: joy, gladness: gtso bos kho la thugs rje chen po mdzad pa thos nas yi rangs so/  after hearing that the Lord had shown her great mercy, they shared her joy (Lk. 1:58), gtso bo'i phyir yi rang zhing khor bsu ba gyis shig welcome him in the Lord with great joy (Phil. 2:29,30), nged dga' zhing yi rang bar 'gyur ba/  let us rejoice and be glad (Rev. 19:7 SV).

    Buddhist: to be pleased: gzhan gyi bde ba la yi rang ba/  to be pleased with the well being of another (KTM), gzhan gyi gsung pa la yi rang ba/  to trust/be pleased with what another says (KTM).

  6. skyid/ 

    Biblical: happiness, joy: khyed tsho'i skyid rogs byed pa'i phyir/  [we work] with you for your joy (2 Cor. 1:24).

    Buddhist: 1) comfort, especially when considered as an obstacle to the practice of religion: tshe 'di rkyang gi bde ba dang skyid po/  the happiness and comfort of this life (TRC 216); 2) happiness: skyid dus mi 'dug there's no time to be happy (HTE 178), skyid skyid zer bas phyogs kun khyab par shog may happiness spread to all directions (KPU 35); 3) gladness: zla ba kha shas sdad nas skyid po byung /  I was glad to stay for a few months (DPD).

    Cognates: 1) lus sems skyid po/  bodily comfort (TRC 288); 2) bde skyid/  happiness or comfort zhi bde dang /,,bde skyid/,,srung skyob/  peace, comfort, and security (DLP 8); 3) lha sa'i skyid chu/  Lhasa's Kyi Chu River (SLR 8); 4) skyid tshal/  a park or garden (SLR 12).

    Proverbs: skyid sdug ci 'ong sdon las btsan pos shes/  whatever happiness or suffering comes, recognize it as the power of your past actions (HTE 178).

  7. dga' mgu rang / 

    Biblical: a classical term for rejoicing: dkon mchog la yang dga' mgu rang ngo /  we also rejoice in God (Rom. 5:11 SV).