Buddhism Vocabulary

Religion

: One of the Three Marks of Exis- tence; the Buddhist doctrine denying a permanent self.

Anatta

: One of the Three Marks of Existence; the Buddhist doctrine that all existent things are constantly changing.

Anicca

: One who has become enlightened; the ideal type for Theravada Buddhism.

Arhat

: Future Buddhas. As the ideal types for Mahayana Buddhism, beings who have experienced enlightenment but, motivated by compassion, stop short of entering nirvana so as to help others achieve it.

Bodhisattvas

: Siddhartha Gautama and all others who have by their own insight attained perfect enlightenment

Buddha

: The spiritual leader of Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism, believed to be an incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

Dalai Lama

: Ethical duty based on the divine order of reality; one of the four goals of life.

Dharma

: “suffer- ing,” “frustration,” “dislocation,” or “discomfort”) The first of the Four Noble Truths, the basic Buddhist insight that suffering is part of the human condition. See also Three Marks of Existence.

Dukkha

The basic moral requirements that are binding for all Buddhists.

Five Precepts:

The central teachings of Buddhism: to live is to experience suffering; suffering is caused by desire; the cessation of suf- fering can be achieved; the solution is the Noble Eightfold Path.

Four Noble Truths:

Sanskrit: “the Great Vehicle”) The largest of Buddhism’s three divi- sions, prevalent in China, Japan, and Korea; encompasses a variety of forms, including those that empha- size devotion and prayer to the Bud- dhas and bodhisattvas.

Mahayana

Patterned icons that visually excite; used in Vajrayana Buddhism to enhance meditation

Mandalas:

Phrases or syllables chanted to evoke a deity or to enhance meditation; used in Hinduism and Buddhism, especially in Vajrayana.

Mantras:

Phrases or syllables chanted to evoke a deity or to enhance meditation; used in Hinduism and Buddhism, especially in Vajrayana.

Middle Way:

Choreo- graphed hand movements used in the rituals of Vajrayana Buddhism.

Mudras:

The ultimate goal of all Buddhists, the extinction of desire and any sense of individual selfhood, resulting in liberation from samsara and its limit- ing conditions

Nirvana:

The fourth of the Four Noble Truths; defines the basic practices of Buddhism that lead to nirvana.

Noble Eightfold Path:

An ancient language of India, similar to Sanskrit but more commonly understood, and used in the writing of the earliest Buddhist texts; most important for Theravada Buddhism.

Pali:

An ancient language of India, similar to Sanskrit but more commonly understood, and used in the writing of the earliest Buddhist texts; most important for Theravada Buddhism.

Sangha:

: the concept of "thirst," "craving," or "desire," defined as a self-centered craving for pleasure, existence, and non-existence that causes suffering

Tanha

Prevalent form of Buddhism in Cambodia, Burma (the union of Myanmar), Sri Lanka, and Thailand; focuses on the earliest texts and emphasizes monas- tic lifestyle.

Theravada:

:Charac- teristics that summarize the changing nature of reality: anatta (no-self), anicca (impermanence), and dukkha (suffering).

Three Marks of Existence

Named for the vajra, the Buddha’s diamond scepter; prevalent form of Buddhism in Tibet; emphasizes the harnessing of sensual energies to attain nirvana.

Vajrayana: