Buddhism Vocabulary

anatta (uh-nat’uh; Pali: “no-self”)

one of the Three Marks of Existence; the Buddhist doctrine denying a permanent self

anicca (uh-nee’chuh; Pali: “impermanence”)

one of the Three Marks of Existence; the Buddhist doctrine that all existent things are constantly changing

arhat (ahr’huht)

one who has become enlightened; the ideal type for Theravada Buddhism

bodhisattva (boh-dee-saht’vahs)

future Buddhas; as the types of Mahayana Buddhism, beings who have experienced enlightenment but, motivated by compassion, stop short of entering nirvana so as to help others achieve it

Buddha (boo’duh; Sanskrit and Pali: “awakened one”)

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

Dalai Lama (dahl’ee lahm’ah)

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

Dharma (dahr’muh)

the teachings of the Buddha, and one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism

dukkha (dook’huh; Pali: “suffering,” “frustration,” “dislocation,” or “discomfort”)

the first of the Four Noble Truths, the basic Buddhist insight that suffering is part of the human condition

Five Precepts

the basic moral requirements that are binding for all Buddhists

Four Noble Truths

the central teachings of Buddhism: to live is to suffer, suffering is caused by desire, the cessation of suffering can be achieved, the solution is the Noble Eightfold Path

karma (Sanskrit: “action”)

the moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of one’s rebirth

Mahayana (mah-hah-yah’nah; Sanskrit: the Great Vehicle)

the largest of Buddhism’s three divisions, prevalent in China, Japan, and Korea; encompasses a variety of forms, those including those that emphasize devotion and prayer to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas

mandalas (mahn’duh-luhs; Sanskrit: “circle”)

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

mantras (mahn’truhs)

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

Middle Way

a basic Buddhist teaching that rejects both the pleasures of sensual indulgence and the self-denial of asceticism, focusing instead on a practical approach to spiritual attainment

mudras (mood’rahs)

choreographed hand movements used in the rituals of Vajrayana Buddhism

nirvana (Sanskrit: “blowing out”)

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

Noble Eightfold Path

the fourth of the Four Noble Truths; defined the basic practices of Buddhism that lead to nirvana

Pali (pah’lee)

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

samsara (sahm-sah’ruh)

the wheel of rebirth or reincarnation; the this-worldly realm in which rebirth occurs

Sangha (sahn’guh; Sanskrit and Pali: “assemblage”)

the Buddhist community of monks and nuns; of the Three Jewels of Buddhism

tanha (Pali: “desire,” “thirst,” or “craving”)

the second of the Four Noble Truths, selfish desire, which causes dukkha

Theravada (thay-ruh-vah’duh; Pali” “the way of the elders”)

prevalent form of Buddhism in Cambodia, Myanmar (formally Burma), Sri Lanka, and Thailand; focuses on the earliest texts and emphasizes monastic lifestyle

Three Marks of Existence

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

Vajrayana (vuhj-ruh-yah’nuh; Sanskrit: the Vehicle of the Diamond)

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