Buddhism

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear. In this list, an attempt has been made to organize terms by their original form and give translations and synonyms in other languages below the definition.

Languages and traditions dealt with here: Chinese, English, Pāli (Theravada), Sanskrit (or Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit) (primarily Mahayana), Tibetan (Vajrayana), Korean, Japanese ((Zen)), Thai (Theravada).

A

ācārya

• "teacher"
• Sanskrit; Pāli; Thai:Ajahn; Ch. 阿闍梨,　阿闍梨耶; Jp. ajari, ajariya

addiction

• See tanha

alayavijnana

• See Store Consciousness.
• Tibetan: kun gzhi rnam shes; Japanese: 阿賴耶識 araya-shiki

āgarika

• A white-robed student in the Theravada tradition, who for a few months, awaits being considered for Samanera ordination
• Pāli

ānāpānasati

• Mindfulness of the breath meditation
• Pāli

anicca

• Impermanence
• Pāli; Sanskrit: anitya

anatta

• Doctrine of the nonexistence of the soul
• Pāli; Sanskrit: anātman; Ch. 無我; Jp. muga
• Thoughts Without a Thinker

arhat

• A living person who has reached Enlightenment
• Pāli: arahat, arahant; Sanskrit: arhat, arhant ; Ch. 阿羅漢; Jp. arakan

bhikkhu/bhikshu

• A monk
• Pāli; Sanskrit: bhikṣ

u

• Derivates: bhikkhuni/bhikṣ

uni: a Buddhist nun

bodhi

• Awakening or Enlightenment
• Sanskrit; Pāli;

bodhi tree

• The fig tree under which Gautama reached Enlightenment, and subsequently therefore the popular name for Ficus religiosa.

bodhisattva

• A person with the intention to become a Buddha in order to liberate all other sentient beings from suffering.
• Sanskrit (Pali: bodhisatta)

Buddha

• A Buddha. Also, the Buddha, Siddhārta Gautama
• From √budh, to awaken
• Sanskrit; Pāli

buddha nature

• The ability shared by sentient beings to achieve Englightenment.

dependent origination

• See pratitya-samutpada

dukkha

• Suffering, dissatisfaction, stress
• Pāli; Sanskrit: duḥ

kha

dhamma

• A difficult term to define. Often refers to the doctrines and teachings of the faith, but it may have broader uses. Also, it is an important technical term meaning something like “phenomenological constituent.” This leads to the potential for confusion, puns, and double entendres, as the latter meaning often has negative connotations.
• Pāli; Sanskrit: dharma

dhyana (see jhāna)

doan

• In Zen, a term for person sounding the bell that marks the beginning and end of Zazen
• Japanese

dokusan

• A private interview between a Zen student and his master. It is an important element in the Zen training, as it provides an opportunity for the student to discuss problems in his practice and to demonstrate his understanding.
• Japanese

dokusan

• A private interview between a Zen student and his master. It is an important element in the Zen training, as it provides an opportunity for the student to discuss problems in his practice and to demonstrate his understanding.
• Japanese

Early Buddhist Schools

• The schools of Buddhism which arose in India after the time of the historical Buddha but before the time of the {{MSG:Mahayana}}, and which the Mahāyāna

later criticized. These are sometimes identified as "Hīnayāna " by later schools. Also called ś ravakayāna.

fukudo

• In Zen, term for person who strikes the Han
• Japanese

gassho

• A position used for greeting, with the palms together and fingers pointing upwards in prayer position. It is used in the Zen tradition, but also common in many cultures in the East. It expresses greeting, request, thankfulness, reverence and prayer.
• Japanese *; Sanskrit:Anjali)

gongan

• Lit. "Public case." A meditative method developed in the Chan/Seon/Zen traditions, generally consisting of a problem that defies solution by means of rational thought
• Chinese; Japanese: koan (公案); Korean: gong'an

Han

• In Zen monasteries, wooden board that is struck announcing sunrise, sunset and the end of the day
• Japanese

ino

• In Zen, one of the leaders of a sesshin
• Japanese

Jhana

• Meditative contemplation. More often associated with ś

amatha practices than vipaś yana. See also: shamata, samadhi, samapatti

• Pāli; Sanskrit: dhyāna

Jisha

• In Zen, Roshi's attendant during sesshin or dokusan
• Japanese

Kensho

• In Zen, enlightenment. Kensho has the same meaning as satori, but is customary used for an initial awakening experience.
• Japanese

kinhin

• Zen walking meditation
• Japanese

koan

• See #gongan

kyosaku

• In Zen, a flattened stick used to strike the shoulders during zazen, to help overcome fatigue or reach satori. (Japanese)

Lama

• A Tibetan teacher or master. Equivalent to Sanskrit "guru".
• Tibetan

Lineage

• The official record of the historical descent of dharma teachings from one teacher to another.

makyo

• In Zen, unpleasant or distracting thoughts or illusions that occur during zazen.
• Japanese

Madhyamaka

• Buddhist philosophical school, founded by Nāgārjuna

. Members of this school are called Mādhyamikas.

• Sanskrit; Chinese: Sanlun ("Three Treatise")

Mokugyo

• In Zen, a wooden drum carved from one piece, usually in the form of a fish.
• Japanese

=

Mokṣ

a===

• Liberation
• Sanskrit

Mondo

• In Zen, a short dialogue between teacher and student.
• Japanese

middle way

• The practice of avoidance of extreme views and lifestyle choices

nirvana

• Extinction or extinguishing; ultimate enlightenment in the Buddhist tradition.
• Pāli: nibbāna, Sanskrit: nirvāṇ

a

• Derivates: paranibbana/parinirvana - Final liberation (Pāli/Sanskrit)

oryoki

• Zen eating ceremony
• Japanese

paramārtha

• Absolute as opposed to merely conventional truth. See also: saṃ

vṛ ti.

• Sanskrit

paramita

• Lit. "reaching the other shore," usually rendered in English as "perfection." The Mahayana practices for obtaining enlightenment
• Sanskrit

=

paṭ

icca-samuppāda===

• "Dependent origination," the view that no phenomenon exists (or comes about) without depending on other phenomena around it.
• Pāli; Sanskrit: pratātya-samutpāda

Purisa

• The practicing Buddhist community as a whole; Sangha and laity

rebirth

• The process of continuity of life after death

Rinpoche

Tibetan for 'Precious one' Title for:

• Recognized rebirth of a (Tibetan) Buddhist teacher (also called tulku in Tibetan)
• Tibetan teacher
• Tibetan

Rinzai (臨済)

• Zen sect emphasizing sudden enlightenment and koan study. Named for master Linji.
• Japanese; Chinese: Linji

Rohatsu

• A day in December (usually 8th) that marks the attainment of Nirvana by Buddha
• Japanese

Roshi

• Zen title
• Japanese

samanera/shramanera

• A male novice monk, who, after a year or until the ripe age of twenty, will be considered for the higher Bhikkhu ordination.

samatha

• Mental stabilization; tranquility meditation. Distinguished from vipāssana meditation.
• Pāli; Sanskrit: ś

amatha

samu

• Work, conceived as a part of Zen training.[1]
• Japanese

=

saṃ

sāra===

• The cycle of birth and rebirth; the world as commonly experienced
• Sanskrit and Pali

===saṃ vṛ ti===

• Conventional, as opposed to absolute, truth. See also, paramārtha.
• Sanskrit

=

saṅ

gha===

• The community of Buddhist monks and nuns.
• Sanskrit

Sayadaw

• Burmese meditation master

satori

• Awakening; understanding. A Japanese term for enlightenment
• Japanese; Chinese: wu

sensei

• Teacher; Zen teacher
• Japanese

skandha

• The five constituent elements into which an individual is analyzed. These are rū

pa, "form", saṃ jñ ā, "cognition", vedanā, "perception", *saṃ skāras, "mental formations", *vijñ āna, "consciousness".

• Sanskrit; Pāli: khandha

sesshin

• A Zen retreat where practitioners meditate, eat and work together for several days.
• Japanese

shikantaza (只管打座)

• Soto Zen. "Only concentrated on doing sitting" is the main meditation-method of Soto school of Zen-Buddhism in Japan.

=

ś

ū nyatā===

• Emptiness. See also: Nāgārjuna
• Sanskrit; Pāli: suññatā

sōtō-shū(曹洞 宗)

• Sect of Zen emphasizing shikantaza as the primary mode of practice. See also: Dogen
• Japanese

store consciousness

• The base consciousness (alayavijnana) taught in Yogacara Buddhism

sutta

• Scripture. Originally referred to short aphoristic sayings and collections thereof.
• Pāli; Sanskrit: sutra

tanha

• Craving or desire
• Pali (Sanskrit: trsna)

tanto

• In Zen, one of the main leaders of a sesshin.
• Japanese

Tathāgata

• The "Thus-Come One" or “Thus-Gone One”; One of the Buddha's ten epithets
• Sanskrit

teisho

• A presentation by a Zen master during a sesshin. Rather than an explanation or exposition in the traditional sense, it is intended as a demonstration of Zen realisation.
• Japanese

Tenzo

• In Zen, the head cook for a sesshin
• Japanese

=

Tripiṭ

aka===

• The "Three Baskets"; canon containing the sacred texts for Buddhism (Pāli)
• Sanskrit; Pāli: Tipiṭ

aka

Tulku

• A re-incarnated Tibetan teacher
• Tibetan

upāya

• Expedient. (i.e., something useful, while not necessarily ultimately true) Originally used as a polemical device against other schools—calling them “merely” expedient, lacking in ultimate truth. Later sometimes used against ones own school as well, to prevent students form forming attachments to doctrines.
• Sanskrit

Vināya

• The monastic rules of discipline for Buddhist monks & nuns.
• Pāli; Sanskrit

vipassana

• Usually translated as “Insight” (lit. from √vis-drś

, to “see apart”) meditation, most associated with the Theravada tradition, but present throughout Buddhism as an evolved tradition. Distinguished from ś amatha meditation.

• Pāli; Sanskrit: vipaś

yana

zazen

• Zen meditation
• Japanese

Zendo

• In Zen, a hall where Zen (usually meaning zazen) is practiced (see Dojo)
• Japanese