buddhist beliefs key terms

arhat

a ‘perfected person’ who has overcome the main sources of suffering

asceticism

a lifestyle of strict self-denial - rejected by siddhartha for the middle way

bodhisattva

an enlightened person who chooses to remain in samsara to teach others

dependent arising

the idea that everything is dependent on everything else

dharma

the buddha’s teachings on how to reach enlightenment

dukkha

suffering or dissatisfaction, which is something buddhists seek to overcome

eightfold path

eight aspects of life buddhists live by to try and reach enlightenment

enlightenment

a state of spiritual wisdom which arises from understanding the nature of reality

four noble truths

four truths the buddha taught about suffering and how to overcome it

four sights

four things siddhartha saw that inspired him to leave his life of luxury

jakata

a book of popular tales about the life of the buddha

meditation

the practice of focusing or calming the mind and reflecting on teachings

nirvana

a state of complete enlightenment which lies outside the cycle of samsara

samsara

the cycle of life, death and rebiryh

three marks of existence

three buddhist beliefs about the truth of existence

three watches

three realisations siddhartha made in order to become enlightened