Buddhism Key Terms

Siddhartha Guatama

Born to a royal family around 563 BC in Nepal. Would later in life become known as the Buddha

The Four Noble Truths:

four most important convictions about life, according to Buddhism

The First Noble Truth: Dukkha

translates as suffering. All of human life is suffering

The Second Noble Truth: Tanha:

translates as desire. Our selfish desires and cravings are the cause of our suffering.

The Third Noble Truth:

we can cure our suffering if we can overcome our selfish desires and cravings

The Fourth Noble Truth:

the prescription for curing our suffering is to follow the eightfold path of Buddhism.

The Eightfold Path:

the path of Buddhist practices that are used to cure our suffering. The preliminary step is Right association. The path consists of:
1) Right views
2) Right intent
3) Right speech
4) Right conduct
5) Right livelihood
6) Right effort
7) Right mindfulness
8) Right concentration

Enlightenment:

Buddhist term for awakening.

Nirvana:

Buddhist term for an extinguishing of the boundaries of the finite self. This is incomprehensible state. It
is what happens when one is enlightened – they reach Nirvana.

Godhead:

Buddhism does not ascribe to the belief that there is one “person” or “personality” who is the supreme creator of the universe. But this faith tradition does include the sense of a “Godhead” – which may be likened to a supreme state of being.

Anicca:

Buddhist concept of impermanence

Anatta:

In Buddhism, there is no belief in a soul as a spiritual substance that retains its own separate identity. The concept of reincarnation in Buddhism is seen, instead, as a “transmigration” where one earthly life affects the next, but only in the way that one candle affects the next as it passes its flame.

Arhat:

The Buddhist term for the perfected person who has attained Nirvana.

Theravada Buddhism

This sect of Buddhism claims to represent original Buddhism, exactly as it was written. It
attends only to the Buddha’s explicit teachings. Practiced in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Mahayana Buddhism:

This sect of Buddhism is seen as “Buddhism for the people.” It is more inclusive of lay
people. Practiced in Tibet, Japan, Korea.

Vajrayana Buddhism:

The goal of this sect of Buddhism is to realize the Buddha’s vision of luminous
compassion. Its essence is tantra, but not in the way this idea has been misappropriated by Westerners.