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རིགས་ལྔ། | Glossary of Terms
རིགས་ལྔ།
rigs lnga
pañcakula
- Term
- Five families
- རིགས་ལྔ།
- rigs lnga
- pañcakula
The tathāgata, vajra, jewel, lotus, and karma families. Each of these families is associated with a specific direction, type of activity, and mode of awakened wisdom, and each is headed by a specific tathāgata. When displayed in maṇḍala formation, Vairocana heads the tathāgata family at the center, and Akṣobhya presides over the vajra family in the east, Ratnasambhava over the jewel family in the south, Amitābha/Amitāyus over the lotus family in the west, and Amoghasiddhi over the karma family in the north. In maṇḍalas associated with the Mahāyoga tantras, Vairocana and Akṣobhya switch places.
Warning: Readers are reminded that according to Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition there are restrictions and commitments concerning tantra. Practitioners who are not sure if they should read this translation are advised to consult the authorities of their lineage. The responsibility for reading this text or sharing it with others who may or may not fulfill the requirements lies in the hands of readers.
- Five families
- རིགས་ལྔ།
- rigs lnga
- pañcakula
The vajra family, lotus family, tathāgata family, jewel family, and karma family.