Aro Dictionary

daka

The Sanskrit term for pawo.

dakini

The Sanskrit term for khandro.

damtsig

The ‘sacred vows’ of Vajrayana. Outwardly, they consist of maintaining harmonious relationship with the vajra master and one’s Sangha; and, inwardly, not straying from the continuity of the practice.
The Tibetan spelling is dam tshig.
The equivalent Sanskrit term is samaya.

deity yoga

Another term for yidam practice.
Read more about: deity yoga

Dharma

The Sanskrit term for chö.

drüpthab

‘Method of accomplishment’. Commonly used to refer to a Tantric liturgy that is chanted. More accurately, can refer to any Vajrayana method.
The Tibetan spelling is sGrub thabs.
The equivalent Sanskrit term is sadhana.

duality

‘Duality’ can refer to any of several confused attempts to polarise reality. In general Buddhism, it refers most often to the opposition of self and other. In Dzogchen, it refers particularly to the attempt to separate form and emptiness; or more subtly to separate duality and non-duality.
Read more about: duality

Dzogchen

Dzogchen is the Buddhist yana, or ‘vehicle’, based on the approach of self-liberation. Self-liberation occurs when we allow phenomena to be as they are. ‘Phenomena’ here includes both external objects and mental ones, such as perceptions and emotions. Compare Tantrayana and Sutrayana.
The Tibetan spelling is rDzogs chen.
Read more about: Dzogchen

Dzogchen gar-dang

The Tibetan term for yogic song. It is spelled rDzogs chen sGar gDangs.