Deciphering Tibetan Buddhist titles?

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paradox524
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Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2017 3:53 am

Deciphering Tibetan Buddhist titles?

Post by paradox524 »

Can anyone point me to a glossary of all the relevant Tibetan titles and their meanings? I'm having a hard time, as a beginner, telling what the names are and what the titles are.

For example, I see

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

or

Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche

or

Katok Situ Chökyi Gyatso

etc.

Which is the name, and which are the titles, and what do they mean?

Thanks.
Marc
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Re: Deciphering Tibetan Buddhist titles?

Post by Marc »

Hmm... Seems like my response got lost in an internet glitch :thinking:

I do not have a "ressource glossary" to point to, but hopefully this will be helpful:  

Examples of titles:  

Rinpoche - Precisou one 
Tülku - Reincarnation (literally "body of magical manifestation")
Yangsi - Reincarnation (literally "back to existence")
Kybaje - Lord of Refuge
Je - Lord
Tridzin / Khridzin - Holder of the Throne 
Yongdzin - Holder of all (the teachings / transmissions)
Kunkhyen - Omniscient 
Lopön / Pönlob - "Dean" of the "university" (litteraly "chief of studies")
Drupthob - Accomplished one
Togden - Realized one
Geshe - Degree ± PhD (litteraly "Virtuous Friend", a teacher of "sutras")
Khenpo - Degree ± PhD in Nyingma & Kagyü / Abbot in Bön (Litterally "learned one")
Tertön - Treasure Revealer
Lingpa - "Suffix" name of Tertön's

In the example you've given, you also find one of the teachers' Dharma names: Khyentse, Chökyi Gyatso...
As well as their pedigree / origin, either their monastery (Dzongsar, Katok...), or family (Dilgo...).  
paradox524
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Re: Deciphering Tibetan Buddhist titles?

Post by paradox524 »

Thanks! And Gyatso? Jamyang?
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Lobsang Chojor
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Re: Deciphering Tibetan Buddhist titles?

Post by Lobsang Chojor »

paradox524 wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 4:47 pm Thanks! And Gyatso? Jamyang?
These are more often given names, for example Gyatso means ocean and Jamyang is manjushri.
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Palzang Jangchub
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Re: Deciphering Tibetan Buddhist titles?

Post by Palzang Jangchub »

Gyatso = "ocean," and is usually a name.

Jamyang = "gentle speech, sweet-voiced," a.k.a. Manjughosha (an alternate name for Manjushri). It's also a commonly used Tibetan name.
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Malcolm
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Re: Deciphering Tibetan Buddhist titles?

Post by Malcolm »

paradox524 wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 3:37 pm
Dzongsar / Jamyang Khyentse / Rinpoche
Dzongsar Monastery, Incarnation lineage, honorific

or
Dilgo / Khyentse / Yangsi / Rinpoche
Family name / incarnation lineage / descriptive (rebirth) / honorific
or

Katok / Situ / Chökyi Gyatso
Monastery, incarnation lineage, personal name
DannyDevitoFan
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Re: Deciphering Tibetan Buddhist titles?

Post by DannyDevitoFan »

I think Gyatso means ocean and Jamyang means "gentle voice". They are both part of their actual names, not titles. Unless of course they are inherited tulku names. Then it is sort of a title.

To add to the list of titles above, I'm fairly sure that Situ was a title given to certain lamas by the Chinese emperor (or maybe the Mongolian khan?) I think it means something like imperial preceptor. The tulkus of the original Situs still cary the names. (Tai situ, Kathok Situ ... I assume there are others)
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