Buddhism Midterm Vocab

Brahmanism – The religious and social system of the Brahmins, based on the Vedas. It emphasizes rituals, caste hierarchy, and cosmic order, later influencing Hinduism and providing the religious backdrop from which Buddhism emerged.

Veda – The ancient sacred texts of Brahmanism, considered divine knowledge. The Upanishads, later Vedic texts, introduced philosophical ideas that influenced Buddhist thought.

Upanishad – Philosophical texts that reinterpret earlier Vedic traditions, introducing concepts like karma, samsara, and moksha. These ideas provided a foundation for Buddhism's own doctrines.

Deva – Celestial beings or gods in Indian religious traditions. In Buddhism, devas exist within samsara and are subject to karma and rebirth, unlike the enlightened Buddha.

Śramana – A renunciant or ascetic who rejects Vedic rituals and seeks spiritual liberation. The Buddha was a śramana who developed his own path to enlightenment.

Moksha – Liberation from samsara in Brahmanical traditions, analogous to nirvana in Buddhism.

Arupadhatu – The formless realm in Buddhist cosmology, where beings exist without physical form, having transcended material desires but still within samsara.

Kammadhatu – The realm of sensual desire, encompassing humans, animals, and lower celestial beings. It is characterized by attachment and suffering.

Arahant – One who has attained enlightenment and is free from the cycle of birth and death but is not a Buddha.

Buddha – An enlightened being who has discovered and taught the Dharma. Siddhartha Gautama is the Buddha of our age.

Kamma/Karma – The law of moral causation, where intentional actions create future consequences, shaping rebirth and experiences within samsara.

Six Realms – The different realms of rebirth in samsara: gods, demigods (asuras), humans, animals, hungry ghosts (preta), and hell beings.

Dhamma/Dharma – The truth and teachings of the Buddha. It represents both the reality of existence and the path to liberation.

Asura – Demigods who exist in a state of constant conflict, often driven by jealousy and ambition.

Preta – Hungry ghosts characterized by insatiable desire and suffering, often associated with greed and attachment.

Samsara – The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, driven by karma and ignorance.

Vipāka – The ripening or fruition of karma, determining one’s experiences in future lives.

Phala – The fruit or result of actions, closely related to vipāka.

Pāpa/Pāp – Unwholesome or negative actions that generate bad karma.

Kusala/Akusala – Wholesome (kusala) and unwholesome (akusala) actions, influencing one’s karmic trajectory.

South Asia & Southeast Asia – Regions where Buddhism has historically developed and spread, adapting to local cultures.

Early Indic Socio-Philosophical Context – The religious and social environment in which Buddhism arose, including Vedic traditions and śramana movements.

Pali – The language of the Theravāda Buddhist scriptures.

Bodhgaya – The site of the Buddha’s enlightenment.

Householder – A layperson who supports the monastic community and follows Buddhist teachings while engaged in worldly life.

Cetana – Intention or volition, a crucial factor in karma formation.

Jataka – Stories of the Buddha’s past lives, illustrating moral lessons and virtues.

Vessantara – A past life of the Buddha, famous for his extreme generosity.

Rahula – The Buddha’s son, symbolizing renunciation as he was left behind when Siddhartha pursued enlightenment.

Four Sights – The old man, sick man, corpse, and ascetic seen by Siddhartha Gautama, which led him to renounce worldly life.

Pārami/Pāramitā – The perfections cultivated by bodhisattvas, such as generosity, morality, and wisdom.

Bodhisattva – An enlightened being on the path to Buddhahood, postponing nirvana to help others.

Kushinagar – The place where the Buddha passed away.

Sarnath – The location of the Buddha’s first sermon.

Lumbini – The birthplace of the Buddha.

Asceticism – The practice of severe self-discipline and renunciation, initially followed by the Buddha before he discovered the Middle Way.

Cosmic Reproduction – The idea that religious rituals maintain cosmic and social order, central to Brahmanism but rejected by Buddhism.

Metteyya (Maitreya) – The future Buddha who will appear when the Dharma is forgotten.

Phra Malai – A legendary Buddhist monk known for visiting the heavens and hells.

Middle Way – The Buddha’s path of moderation between extreme asceticism and indulgence.

Tathāgata – An epithet for the Buddha, meaning “one who has thus gone” or “one who has thus come.”

Buddhist/Religious Truth vs. Secular/Historical Truth – The distinction between spiritual teachings and historical analysis, acknowledging the symbolic and didactic nature of Buddhist narratives.

Connections Between Key Concepts

• Karma (kamma), vipāka, and samsara are interrelated; karma determines one's rebirth within samsara, and vipāka is the fruition of past karma.

• Dukkha (suffering) and the Four Noble Truths explain how samsara is characterized by suffering, which can be ended through the Eightfold Path.

• Buddha, bodhisattva, arahant, and Metteyya represent different stages or roles in the pursuit of enlightenment.

• The Six Realms and karma illustrate the moral consequences of actions, with different rebirths corresponding to one's past deeds.

• The Middle Way and asceticism contrast with each other, as the Buddha abandoned extreme asceticism in favor of a balanced approach.

• The Four Sights and renunciation show how Siddhartha Gautama’s journey began and led to his enlightenment.

• Dharma, Pali, and the Jataka tales reflect the transmission and teaching of Buddhist wisdom.

• Upanishads, Brahmanism, and moksha provide the philosophical background from which Buddhism emerged, even as it diverged from these traditions.

• Metteyya, Kushinagar, Sarnath, and Bodhgaya highlight key locations in Buddhist history and prophecy.