Buddhism Key Terms

Anatta

Belief that there is no fixed self/no soul; one of the Three Marks of Existence.

Anicca

Impermanence. Belief that nothing is permanent; one of the Three Marks of Existence.

Arhat

A perfected person. In Theravada Buddhism this is a term for a person who has become enlightened.

Ascetic

A life free from worldly pleasures, and involves giving up of material possessions. An ascetic life often has the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals.

Bodhisattva

In Mahayana Buddhism this is a being destined for enlightenment, who postpones their final escape from samsara in order to help living beings.

Buddha

• Historically the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama)

• An awakened or enlightened person.

Buddhahood

Reaching enlightenment.

Buddha-nature

In Mahayana Buddhism this refers to the fundamental nature of all beings, which means that all beings can become enlightened/reach Buddhahood.

Buddha rupa

An image or statue of the historical Buddha or a being believed to have attained Buddhahood.

Chanting

Singing or rhythmic repetition of a word, prayer or sound.

Compassion (Karuna)

Sympathy and concern for the suffering of others; a key part of Buddhist ethics.

Concentration

Focusing one’s attention; an important part of meditation and mindfulness of breathing.

Consciousness

The fifth of the Five Aggregates; the state of being aware of something/your surroundings before or without perception.

Craving (tahna)

The ongoing state of desire which causes suffering; grasping at things we enjoy/want.

Dependent arising (Paticcasamupada)

The belief that everything exists because other things do; everything is interconnected and everyone affects everyone else.

Dhamma (Dharma)

The teachings of the Buddha; these are the ultimate truth. Can also refer to following the Buddhist path (following the dharma).

Dhammapada

A source of wisdom and authority; part of the Pali Canon that includes some of the most famous teachings of the Buddha, including the Eightfold Path.

Dukkha

Suffering. Belief that all life includes suffering and unsatisfactoriness; one of the Three Marks of Existence.

The Eightfold Path (magga)

The fourth Noble Truth. Known as ‘The Middle Way,’ it includes the way to wisdom; mental training and the way of morality. Eight stages to be practised simultaneously.

Energy

One of the Mahayanan six perfections; making a courageous effort to attain enlightenment.

Enlightenment

A state of wisdom that enables total clarity and understanding of the truths of existence; achieving Enlightenment (Buddhahood) allows a being to be freed from the cycle of rebirth.

Ethics (Sila)

Moral principles that inform behaviour and attitudes; part of the Eightfold Path.

The Five Aggregates (skandhas)

The belief that human beings are composed of five factors - form, sensation, perception, mental formation, consciousness.

The five moral precepts

An important part of Buddhist ethics; part of the Eightfold Path (right action). These include: not taking life, not taking things which aren’t freely given, not misusing the sense, not speaking falsehoods, not clouding the mind with intoxicants.

Form

The first of the Five Aggregates; matter, physical experiences through the sense organs.

The Four Noble Truths

An important part of the Buddha’s teachings found in the Pali Canon, explaining the truth about existence. These include: suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, the path to the end of suffering.

The Four Sights

Teaching from the Jataka Tales about Siddhartha Gautama’s experience of illness, old age, death and a holy man. These sights led him to give up his life of luxury, to follow an ascetic lifestyle, in search of the truth about suffering.

Generosity

One of the Mahayanan six perfections; the sincere and selfless desire to benefit others with no expectation of reward.

Gompa

Tibetan monasteries associated with learning and studying the dharma.

Greed

One of the Three Poisons; the attachment to material things, and the ongoing selfish desire for more.

Hate

One of the Three Poisons; a feeling of intense dislike, anger, wishing others harm.

Ignorance

One of the Three Poisons; the inability to see things as they really are. It is like a veil that prevents us seeing/understanding the truth of dukkha, anicca and anatta.

Intoxicants

Substances that cloud the mind, eg alcohol, drugs. The five moral precepts teach against using these.

Kamma (Karma)

Literally 'action.’ The belief in cause and effect, intentions and actions will affect the future.

Loving kindness (metta)

A pure love which is selfless and not possessive; a key part of Buddhist ethics

Mantra recitation

A short sequence of words or syllables chanted repetitively as a form of meditation.

Mahayana

Literally “Greater Vehicle”; this school of Buddhism focuses on achieving enlightenment for the sake of all beings (Bodhisattva). It is the main school of Buddhism in China, Tibet and Japan.

Malas

Strings of beads used as a prayer aid.

Mental formations

The fourth of the Five Aggregates; mental activities which lead a person to actions and produce kamma (karma).

Meditation

A spiritual experience that opens a person up to the highest state of consciousness; one of the Mahayanan six perfections, and part of the Eightfold Path (Samadhi).

Mindfulness of breathing

A form of meditation found in Theravada, Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. It focuses on the practice of breathing.

Monasteries (viharas)

Buildings that house monks and nuns. They may also have shrines, Buddha rupas, and spaces for study, as well as accommodation.

Morality

Principles or beliefs about what is right and wrong. One of the Mahayanan six perfections; includes following the Five Moral Precepts

Nibbana/Nirvana

Literally ‘blowing’ out. The belief that individuals can achieve a state of perfect peace where they experience liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

Parinirvana Day

A festival in Mahayana Buddhism that celebrates the death of the Buddha and his attainment of final nibbana. It is most often celebrated on 15th February.

Patience

Being able to tolerate delay or problems without becoming agitated or anxious. One of the Mahayanan six perfections.

Perception

The third of the Five Aggregates. The ability to distinguish between different objects that we experience through our senses; it also enables memory.

Puja/devotional ritual

The name given to ceremonies that involve meditation, prayer and offerings.

Pure Land

This is the dominant form of Buddhism in Japan and focuses on chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha.

Rebirth

This refers to the belief that when a being dies they are reborn. This process depends on kamma, and will continue until nibbana is attained.

Retreats

Temporarily leaving one’s everyday life and going to special places to aid spiritual development.

Samatha

Concentration and tranquility. A method of meditation; a state of calmness.

Sensation

The second of the Five Aggregates; the feelings that arise from our sense organs making contact with objects.

Shrine

A room or part of a room which contains a Buddha rupa, candles, an incense burner and sometimes other offerings.

The six perfections

Ethical principles in Mahayana Buddhism to lead a being to enlightenment.

Sunyata

Literally ‘emptiness’. Mahayana belief about the absence of an intrinsic nature or self-identity.

Temple

A structure/building for religious or spiritual activities, such as meditation. Will usually contain a shrine(s).

Theravada

The school of Buddhism mainly found in Sri Lanka and Thailand; it is an older tradition than Mahayana.

The Threefold Way

The three divisions of the Eightfold Path: ethics, meditation and wisdom.

The Three Marks of Existence

The belief that all life involves/is marked by these three features; sometimes known as the Three Universal Truths. The three are: dukkha, anicca, anatta.

The Three Poisons

Causes of dukkha that affect all beings: ignorance, greed and hate.

Tranquility

A state of peace and calm.

Vipassana (insight)

A method of meditation focused on insight into the true nature of things.

Visualisation

Forming a mental image. A method of meditation in Mahayana Buddhism, imagining an image of a Buddha or Bodhisattva and focusing on their qualities.

Wesak

A Buddhist festival celebrating the Buddha's birth. For some Buddhists it also celebrates his enlightenment and death.

Wisdom (panna)

Insight into the true nature of reality. One of the Mahayanan six perfections, which includes the realisation of sunyata.

Zazen

The main form of meditation in Zen Buddhism, practiced cross-legged with the aim of gaining vipassana (insight).

Zen

A Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism. It focuses on the value of meditation and intuition, rather than ritual worship and study of the scriptures.