Budgloss

Buddhism glossary

Buddhism spread throughout the East, it came to he expressed in many different languages. Terms in the Sanskrit and Pali of India are in most common use in the West, although Japanese and Tibetan terms also occur frequently. Pali is the language of the texts of the Theravada school, whilst Sanskrit is used for general Mahayana. Zen Buddhism uses terms expressed in Japanese, and Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan. There is no preferred form. For convenience, Pali terms appear in bold except in cases where the Sanskrit or other alternative is the more usual form.

Highlighted terms are themselves main entries. Literal translations into English are printed in italics

X/Y

Pali	Sanskrit	Explanation
Abhidhamma	Abhidharma	Further or higher teaching. The philosophy and psychology of Buddhism in abstract, systematic form,
Abbidhamma Pitaka	Abhidharma Pitaka	This is the third of the three principal sections of the canon of basic scripture. It is a systematic, philosophical and psychological treatment of the teachings given in the Sutta Pitaka.
	Amitabha Amitayus	Also, Amida (Japanese). Buddhas having unlimited light and life respectively.
Anapanasati	Anapanasmrti	Mindfulness of the breath. The practice most usually associated with the development of concentration and calm, but also used in the training of Vipassana (insight).
Anatta	Anatman	No self, no soul Insubstantiality; denial of a real or permanent self.
Anicca	Anitya	Impermanence; transience. Instability of all things, including the self.
Arahat, Arahant	Arhat	Enlightened disciple. The fourth and highest stage of Realisation recognised by the Theravada tradition. One whose mind is free from all greed, hatred and ignorance.
Asoka	Ashoka	Emperor of India in the 3rd century BCE.
Atta	Atman	Self, SOUL
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Bikkhu	Bikshu	Fully ordained Buddhist monk
Bhikkhuni	Bhikshuni	Fully ordained Buddhist nun.
Bodhi Tree		The tree (ficus religiosa) under which the Buddha realised Enlightenment. It is known as the Tree of Wisdom.
Bodhisatta		A Wisdom being. One intent on becoming, or destined to become, a Buddha. Gotama, before his Enlightenment as the historical Buddha
	Bodhisattva	A being destined for Enlightenment, who postpones final attainment of Buddhahood in order to help living beings (see Mahayana).
Brahma Viharas		The four sublime states: loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and evenness of mind.
Buddha	Buddha	Awakened or Enlightened One.
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Dalai lama (Tibetan)		Great Ocean. Spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people.
Dana	Dana	Generosity; giving; gift.
Dhamma	Dharma	Universal law; ultimate truth. The teachings of the Buddha, A key Buddhist term.
Dhammapada	Dharmapada	Famous scripture of 423 verses
Dukkha	Duhkha	Suffering; ill; unsatisfactoriness; imperfection. The nature of existence according to the first Noble Truth.
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Gompa (Tibetan)		Monastery; place of meditation
Gotama	Gautama	Family name of the Buddha
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Jakata		Birth story. Accounts of the previous lives of the Buddha
Jhana	Dhyana	Also Ch'an (Chinese) and Zen (Japanese). Advanced meditation.
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Kamma	Karma	Action. Intentional actions that affect one's circumstances in this and future lives. The Buddha's insistence that the effect depends on volition marks the Buddhist treatment of kamma as different from the Hindu understanding of karma.
Karuna	Karuna	Compassion.
Kesa (Japanese)		The robe of a Buddhist monk, nun, or priest.
Khandha	Skandha	Heap, aggregate. The Five Khandhas together make up the 'person' (form, feeling, perception, mental formation and consciousness).
Khanti	Kshanti	Patience; forbearance.
Kilesa	Klesa	Mental defilement or fire, such as greed, hatred or ignorance.
Koan (Japanese)		A technical term used in Zen Buddhism referring to enigmatic or paradoxical questions used to develop intuition. Also refers to religious problems encountered in daily life.
Kwan-yin (Chinese)		Also, Kannon (Japanese), Bodhisattva of Compassion, depicted in female form. Identified with Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
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Lama (Tibetan)		Teacher, or one who is served
	Lotus Sutra	A scripture of major importance to various schools within the Mahayana tradition. It describes the virtues of the Bodhisattva, and emphasises that sentient beings possess Buddha-nature and can attain Enlightenment (Nirvana)
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Magga	Marga	Path, leading to cessation of suffering. The fourth Noble Truth
	Mahayana	Great way of Vehicle. Teachings that spread from India into Tibet, parts of Asia and the Far East, characterised by the Bodhisattva Ideal and the prominence given to the development of both compassion and wisdom.
Mala		Also, Juzu (Japanese). String of 108 beads used in Buddhist practice (like a rosary)
Metta	Maitri	Loving kindness. A pure love which is neither grasping nor possessive.
Metta Sutta		Buddhist scripture which describes the nature of loving kindness.
Matteya	Maitreya	One who has the nature of loving kindness. Name of the future Buddha.
Mudda	Mudra	Ritual gesture, as illustrated by the hands of Buddha images.
Mudita	Mudita	Sympathetic joy. Welcoming the good fortune of others.
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Nibbana	Nirvana	Blowing out of the fires of greed, hatred and ignorance, and the state of secure perfect peace that follows. A key Buddhist term.
Nirodha	Nirodha	Cessation (of suffering). The third Noble Truth.
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Panna	Prajna	Wisdom. Understanding the true nature of things.
Pararni	Paramita	A perfection or virtue. One of the six or ten perfections necessary for the attainment of Buddhahood.
Parinibbana	Parinirvana	Final and complete nirvana reached at the passing away of a Buddha.
Patimokkha	Pratimoksha	The training rules of a monk or nun - 227 in the case of a Theravada monk.
Pitaka		Basket. Collection of scriptures (see Tipitaka).
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Rupa	Rupa	Form. Used of an image of the Buddha; also, the first of the Five Khandhas.
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Sakyarnuni	Shakyamuni	Sage of the Shakyas (the tribe of the Buddha). Title of the historical Buddha.
Samadbi	Samadhi	Meditative absorption. A state of deep meditation.
Samatha	Samatha	A state of concentrated calmness; meditation (see Vipassana).
Samsara	Samsara	Everyday life. The continual round of birth, sickness, old age and death which can be transcended by following the Eightfold Path and Buddhist teaching.
Samudaya	Samudaya	Arising; origin (of suffering). The second Noble Truth.
Sangha	Sangha	Community., assembly. Often used for the order of bhikkhus and bhikkunis in Theravadin countries. in the Mahayana countries, the Sangha includes lay devotees and priests, eg in Japan.
Sankhara	Samskara	Mental/karmic formation. The fourth of the five Khandhas.
Sanna	Samjna	Perception. Third of the five Khandhas.
Satori (Japanese)		Awakening. A term used in Zen Buddhism
Siddattha	Siddhartha	Wish-fulfilled. The personal name of the historical Buddha.
Sila	Sila	Morality.
Sutta	Sutra	Text. The word of the Buddha.
Sutta Pitaka	Sutra Pitaka	The second of the three collections - principally of teachings - that comprise the canon of basic scripture.
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Tanha	Trishna	Thirst; craving; desire (rooted in ignorance). Desire as the cause of suffering. The second Noble Truth.
Tathagata	Tathagata	Another epithet for the Buddha
Theravada	Sthaviravada	Way of the elders. A principal school of Buddhism, established in Sri Lanka and South East Asia. Also found in the West.
Thupa/Cetiya	Stupa	Reliquary (including pagodas).
Tipitaka	Tripitaka	Three baskets. A threefold collection of texts (Vinaya, Sutta, Abhidamma).
Tiratana	Triratna	The triple refuge. Buddha, the Dharmma and the Sangha. Another way of referring to the three jewels.
Tulku (Tibetan)		Reincarnated Lama.
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Upaya		Any skilful means, e.g. meditation on loving kindness, to overcome anger.
Upekkha	Upeksa	Equanimity; evenness of mind.
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	Vajrayana	Thunderbolt,. Diamond Way. Teachings promulgated later, mainly in India and Tibet. Another term for esoteric Buddhism.
Vedana		Feeling. The second of the Five Khandhas.
Vihara		Dwelling place; monastery.
Vinaya		The rules of discipline of monastic life
Vinaya Pitaka		The first of the three collections of the canon of basic scripture, containing mostly the discipline for monks and nuns, with many stories and some teachings.
Vinnana	Vijnana	Consciousness. The fifth of the Five Khandhas.
Vipassana	Vipashyana	Insight into the true nature of things. A particular form of meditation (see Samatha).
Viriya	Virya	Energy; exertion.
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Wesak, or Vesak (Sinhalese)	Wesak	Buddha Day. Name of a festival and a month. On the full moon of Wesak (in May or June), the birth, Enlightenment and passing away of the Buddha took place, although some schools celebrate only the birth at this time, e.g. Zen.
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Zazen (Japanese)		Meditation while seated, as in Zen Buddhism.
Zen (Japanese)		Meditation. Derived from the Sanskrit 'dhyana'. A school of Mahayana Buddhism that developed in China and Japan.