Awareness translates several key Tibetan and Sanskrit terms, including:
- ཤེས་པ་, shépa (Wyl. shes pa), which is basic knowing or cognizance
- ཤེས་བཞིན་, shéshyin (Wyl. shes bzhin), which is also translated as vigilance or watchful awareness
- རིག་པ་, rigpa (Wyl. rig pa), which is the pure awareness of the Dzogchen teachings