(yi dam) t. A personal diety and the root of accomplishment among the Three Roots. a Tibetan term meaning a male or female symbolic deity required for certain meditational purposes.

bodhisattva or other "deity" assigned to a Vajrayana monk by his guru as his personal guide and protector. Once established, this link will last the monk's lifetime, and will help him work towards attaining enlightenment.

vow, oath, covenant” – a tutelary deity.

a buddha or bodhisattva who is chosen as a focus for meditation

a deity with which the practitioner has a special relationship

a energetic manifestation of the mind of a Buddha

Tantric deity. See SADHANA; TRIKAYA DOCTRINE; VAJRAYANA

(Skt.): Enlightened DEITY, or meditational Buddha-form, on whom one's personal tantric practice is centred.

( Tib.): A meditation deity who is the embodiment of a particular aspect of enlightenment.

In Vajrayana Buddhism, a Yidam (Tibetan) or Ishtadevata (Sanskrit) is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for life. The term is often translated into English as meditational deity. A Yidam is an enlightened being with whom one identifies during meditation: one perceives his or her own Buddha nature through such identification.