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Dictionary of Key Spiritual Terms


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Wylie | Tibetan

name

  1. ming / 

    Biblical: the ordinary term for name: khyod kyi ming la ci zer/  what is your name (Mk. 5:9), khyod kyis de'i ming yo ha nan zhes thogs/  you are to give him the name John (Lk. 1:13), rang gi lug ming nas 'bod/  he calls his own sheep by name (Jn. 10:3), pa'u lu'i ming nang khrus thob bam/  were you baptized into the name of Paul (1 Cor. 1:13), de'i ming la sel rgyab par mi bya bar/  will not blot out his name (Rev. 3:5).

    Buddhist: 1) In Tibetan culture, a person often receives a name at birth from a lama, and a new name on entering a monastery: ming gnyis/  two types of name: dngos ming /  real name, and btags ming /  given name (TRI 206), mkhan pos nga la ming gnang nas nga'i ming nyi ma chos thar yin/  then the abbot gave me my new name - Nyima Chothar (DPD); 2) conferring the geshe title is also referred to as naming: dge bshes kyi ming btags go rim de so so 'i dgon pa rang nas sprod kyi red/  they are given their Geshe status from their own monasteries (TRC 26); 3) the names of the different Bst. schools often originated from local place-names: ming 'dogs stangs kyi sgo nas chos lugs mang tsam byung yod pa red/  often, denominational systems arose by being designated by names (TRC 135), sa skya dgon pa zer ba'i ming thogs/  received the name Sakya monastery (TRC 137); 4) ming dang gzugs/  name and form, one of the twelve links of internal dependent-arising (KBT 36).

  2. mtshan/ 

    [hon.]

    Biblical: name: mtshan rnams yongs las mtho ba'i mtshan/  the name that is above every name (Phil. 2:9), khyed mtshan 'chad par bya/  I will declare your name (Heb. 2:12), ma shi ka'i mtshan gyi rkyen gyis/  because of the name of Christ (1 Pet. 4:14), khong gi mtshan la dad pa byas pas/  by faith in the name of Jesus (Acts 3:16), ye shu ma shi ka'i mtshan gyi mthus/  in the power of the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:6), gtso bo ye shu'i mtshan gyi sgo nas khrus gsol thob/  been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 8:15,16).

    Buddhist: 1) name: mtshan bdud rtsi/  the nectar of your name (HTE 170), mtshan snyan/  a good reputation (TRC 153); 2) conferring the geshe title is referred to as naming (see also ming /  above): mtshan btags bzhes gnang grub nas/  having done one's geshe degree (TRC 48); 3) mark or sign: mtshan bzang po sum cu rtsa gnyis/  the thirty two signs or auspicious marks on the body of a Buddha (TRC 74).

    Cognates: 1) mtshan brjod/  [lit. name + say] is used in the sense of calling on the name of, or invoking the power of: khyed kyi mtshan brjod pas srung bar mdzod cig protect them by the power of your name (Jn. 17:11), gtso bo'i mtshan nas brjod tshad thar bar 'gyur/  everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21), yab dang sras dang dam pa'i thugs nyid kyi mtshan rjod cing khrus gsol zhig baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19), nga'i mtshan brjod cing 'gong po skrod pa/  in my name they will drive out demons (Mk. 16:17); 2) mtshan gsol ba/  to give a name to: khong gi mtshan ye shu gsol zhig you are to give him the name Jesus (Mt. 1:21); 3) mtshan nyid/  the study of Buddhist logic or philosophy: mtshan nyid kyi 'dzin grwa/  philosophy classes (TRC 5); also the study of definitions (TRI 221); 4) mtshan ltas/  an omen or sign (see miracle); 5) rgyu mtshan/  cause or reason: de la khro mi rigs pa'i rgyu mtshan/  the reason why anger towards him is improper (TRC 348); 6) ya mtshan/  ironic, surprising (DLP 1); 7) mtshan/  night: nyin mtshan/  day and night (HTE 204); 8) phyag mtshan/  the implements of a deity (MHP 10); 9) rgyu mtshan brjod pa/  to make an argument [lit. reason + say]: chos lugs gzhan dag gi ched du'ang nga tshos gong dang 'dra ba'i rgyu mtshan brjod thub/  we can make similar arguments for other religions as well (DLP 20).