Buddhism Vocab

Ananda

The devoted disciple of the Buddha whose brilliant mind helped retain most of the sutras of the Sutra Pittaka during the First Buddhist Council. Known as "Guardian of the Dharma."

Arhat (Arhant)

'One who is deserving (of reverence), worthy;' a person who has attained nirvana, destroyed the asravas, and who is destined for no further rebirth. In the Mainstream schools, this term is applied both to the Buddha and to the highest level of his noble disciples (sravaka); in the Mahayana schools, it can be applied to anyone who pursues the dharma.

Ashoka

Former warlord who killed over 100,000 people, converted to Buddhism in the 3rd century BCE and is responsible for sending out Buddhist missionaries. This advanced the religion like no other point in its history.

Bodhisattvas

Enlightened beings; who refused liberation from the wheel of samsara, postponing their own salvation, and out of compassion, returned to assist all sentient beings towards perfect enlightenment.

Buddhacarita

Known as the first biography of the Buddha; written in Sanskrit as an epic poem in the 2nd century CE by Asvaghosa.

Buddhaghosa

A 5th-century Indian scholar who is generally recognized as the most important commentator in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism. The Visuddhimagga "Path to Purification," his best known work, provides a comprehensive summary and analysis of the Buddha's path to liberation.

Dalai Lama

Literally, 'Ocean Teacher,' (Ocean of Wisdom); currently the fourteenth (Tenzin Gyatso) was exiled by the Chinese in 1950; seeks to preserve Tibetan culture and Tibetan Buddhism.

Dhammapada

Anthology (collection of literary works chosen by the compiler) of the Buddha's aphorisms (original thoughts in spoken, written or memorable form); some of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures.

Dharmakaya

One of the bodies of Buddha in Mahayana referring to the essence of Buddha and the innate reality of Buddhahood (see Trikaya). Also known as Absolute Truth, Ultimate Reality, etc.

Enlightenment

A state of spiritual awakening and profound understanding of the truth of reality, leading to the end of suffering and liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara). It involves direct insight into the impermanent and selfless nature of existence, characterized by wisdom, compassion, and the cessation of negative states like anger, greed, and delusion.

Jataka Tales

Stories of the Buddha's 547 past lives (as a human, animal or deity) before achieving enlightenment (can be bought at Kinokuniya).

Nirvana

By itself, nirvana is quite unexplainable and quite undefinable; it is better to know how to prepare the conditions necessary for nirvana, how to attain the inner peace and clarity of vision that leads to nirvana. Follow the Buddha's advice: put His Teachings into practice. As darkness can be explained only by its opposite, light, and as calm can only be explained by its opposite, motion, so likewise nirvana, as a state equated to the extinction of all suffering can be explained by its opposite—the suffering that is being endured in samsara. Literally means "extinction" or to be "blown out," like a candle.

Rahula

Siddhartha Gautama's only son, whose name means "fetter" (attachment), whom the Buddha left the night he was born to pursue enlightenment.

Sangha

Community. This word has two levels of meaning: 1) on the ideal (arya) level, it denotes all of the Buddha's followers, lay or ordained, who have at least attained the level of srotapanna; 2) on the conventional (samvrti) level, it denotes the Orders of Bhiksus and Bhiksunis. The Buddha's five friends (who became severe ascetics with him for 5 years) first called him a hypocrite because they saw him eating a meal at a tavern, but later became his first followers/monastic order.

Second Council

Influential Buddhist council 100 years after Buddha's death to reform monastic practice which revealed important early divisions between laity and monks.

Skhandas

‘Heap, mass, aggregate.’ A term to indicate that all factors with which one might identify as one’s ‘self’ are in fact impermanent, causally produced aggregations. There are five: 1) Form (rupa, the body or physical), 2) Sensation: five senses & emotions (vedana), 3) Perception: thinking: conceptualization & reasoning (samjna), 4) Mental formations such as habits, prejudices, & willpower, along with causes & effects (samskaras), and 5) Consciousness: ties all others together; awareness (vijnana); results in continued rebirth.

Sramana Movement

During the Buddha's lifetime, Brahmanical traditions were challenged and numerous people started to become ascetics to fast, meditate, and pray in order to pursue the meaning and purpose of life.

Stupa

Memorial dome-shaped shrine or reliquary, especially to a deceased Buddha or arhat.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Vietnamese monk who led the Buddhist Peace Delegation during the Vietnam War and has preached the Buddhist virtue of 'mindfulness' in the West.

Tripitaka

Three 'baskets' or divisions in the Pali canon of Buddhist scriptures. Abhidhamma [philosophy] Pitaka, Sutta [doctrines] Pitaka, & Vinaya [discipline] Pitaka. It differs in numbers of books from country to country (i.e. Thailand has 45 books; China has 100+; etc.).