Buddhist Terms A - F
These Buddhist terms and Buddhist definitions are written with the intent of describing their meaning in relation to the beliefs of Buddhism. New terms and definitions are added on a regular basis. In addition you will find many philosophy, psychological and general religious terms and definitions.If the meaning of any Buddhist terms requires clarification contact me. Keep in mind that the understanding of Buddhist and Buddhism Beliefs can vary depending on a number of factors. These include but are not limited to translation (one language to another), your teacher, personal bias, misunderstanding, deeper understanding, societal and cultural norms, misguided new-age spiritualistic thinking, etc. In addition there are terms that pertain to general psychology and philosophy as I believe Buddhism is great in both these regards.
Buddhist Terms and Buddhist Definitions:
Buddhist Terms A
Absolute Truth:
The truth that all things are one and interdependent as opposed to relative truth (all things are relative to each other). The two truths exist together.Agnosticism:
The belief that the existence of the ultimate cause such as God and the essential nature of such things are unknown. Agnostics tend to believe that human knowledge is limited to experience, especially in this regard.Aphorism:
A concise and brief saying or observation stating a general truth such as, "Because I am aware, I know this as a fact" or "One with big ego is selfish, one with no ego is selfless".Arahant:
A Pali word indicating a person that has attained the state of no more learning, basically one who has achieved enlightenment.Arhat:
A Sanskrit word indicating a person that has attained the state of no more learning, basically one who has achieved enlightenment.Ascetic:
A person that dedicates his or her to the mostly simple way of self-denial and self-mortification for religious or spiritual reasons. The ascetic person abstains from the normal pleasures of life both of the physical and material nature. Shakyamuni believed this way will not lead to awakening.Ashoka or Asoka:
King of the Mauryan Empire in India. He is responsible for the spread of Buddhism throughout continental India. A bloody victory over the Kingdom of Kalinga in 260 B.C.E caused Ashoka to convert to a Buddhist way of life as a layperson. He commenced a life of virtue. This popularized Buddhism throughout the land. He lived from 304 to 232/231 BCE.Atisha:
Atisha, Buddhist monk, lived from 980/90 to 1055 AD. He was of a royal family much like Shakyamuni. He put into order the method for generating enlightenment. Atisha founded the Kadampa school of Tibetan Buddhism. His biggest work is the Bodhipathapradipa, or the Lamp on the Way to Enlightenment. He lived in Tibet for the last twelve years of his life.Atheism:
The belief that there is no god. This is generally believed by atheists as the details involving most religions are, at best, scattered, and at worst, a complete fabrication. Now, the non-open minded individual often reacts angrily to this notion. Usually this angry person is of the Christian faith, but may be of the other faiths. Often, Christians express anger at atheists and agnostics alike. Interesting, considering Christ probably taught against the emotion of anger and hatred, as did Buddha.Avalokiteshvara:
The Bodhisattva of Compassion.Ayya:
A Sanskrit word indicating that one has gained a direct realization of emptiness.Buddhist Terms B
Bhikkhu:
A fully ordained Buddhist monk.Bhikkuni:
A fully ordained Buddhist nun.Bodhgaya:
A village in North India where the Buddha awakened. This is still a central place of pilgrimage for Buddhists.Bodhi:
Awakening.Bodhisattva:
A person who is committed to attaining enlightenment in order to help all sentient beings. Primarily this term is used in Mahayana Buddhism. Arahant or Arhat pertains to Theravada Buddhism.Bon:
Bon is the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet. Many Bon concepts are alive and well in Tibetan Buddhism. Bon is still practiced to this day. It is shamanistic and has been recognized by the 14th Dalai Lama.Brahma:
The impersonal supreme being in Hinduism.Brahman:
A Hindu priest. Also called Brahmin.Buddha:
This usually refers to Buddha Shakyamuni. Buddha also refers to any person that has attained true enlightenment. The Buddha was a man that lived twenty-five hundred years ago. He was born around 563 BCE. He lived to about eighty years. He taught a great teaching. I believe he has been elevated to a mystical level. This is not to lessen the impact of Buddha's teachings. It is to allow for the truth of his word. Shakyamuni said it himself, "I am not a god, I am a man." And at that, an extremely wise man with great insight and wisdom.Bodhidharma:
The monk that traveled from India to China and founded the Zen school there around 476 CE.Buddhadarma:
The teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.Buddha Nature:
The natural state of all sentient beings. The state of being awake or enlightened. Buddha nature or enlightenment is attained when one sees clearly. One is no longer deluded by the confinement and trickery of illusions.Buddhist Terms C
Canon:
Official and recognized sacred books, generally of rules, standards and principles. The Pali Canon is the Buddhist scripture consisting of three parts called the Tipitaka (in Pali) or Tripitaka (in Sanskrit). Tipitaka means three baskets.Ch'an Buddhism:
The Chinese name for Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism, called Ch'an, first originated in China. Later it spread to Japan (from China) as Zen Buddhism.Chenrezig:
In Tibetan this is the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The equivalent of Avalokiteshvara.Citta:
A Pali word for mind. May also be translated as heart.Cosmology:
The branch of philosophy dealing with the origin and general structure of the universe, with its parts, elements, and laws, and especially with much of its characteristics such as space, time, causality, and freedom.Buddhist Terms D
Dhamma
Pali for dharma. The teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha. Also, universal truth.Deity:
A god or goddess. A being that is revered as a god or goddess. To me, a being of divine nature, or magical in nature in the sense that it is capable of feats beyond humanly possible that the human delusional mind has constructed.Delusion:
That which contradicts reality. The construction of a false reality in one's mind or otherwise. Not seeing how things really are. A false belief or opinion.Deva(s):
A sort of celestial being in Buddhist mythology. The Deva realm is populated by god-like beings who have great power and long life. Their lives are of joy and happiness. Devas grow old and die. Yet their status fails to allow them to see the suffering of existence. They lack wisdom and compassion. The privileged Deva will be reborn in another of the Six Realms.Deer Park:
The park in Sarnath near Benares where the Buddha gave his first sermon on The Four Noble Truths.Dharma:
Sanskrit for dhamma. The truth, or the way things truly are. The teachings of Buddha Sakyamuni.Dogen:
Zen monk of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in Japan. He lived from 1200 to 1253 CE.Dogma:
A system of principles or tenets of a church. An established opinion, belief, or principle.Dukkha:
A Pali word meaning suffering or dis-ease. Also dissatisfaction or uneasiness, etc. In Buddhism it refers to the suffering experienced by most if not all humans. It is actually translated as being like a wheel out of balance. Imagine a wheel on an ox-cart that is somewhat flimsily put together. Imagine how that wheel wobbles and seems to have an appearance of coming off. Now think of the rider on the ox-cart. His or her ride is somewhat uncomfortable as a result.Dzogchen:
Tibetan for great perfection. The supreme teachings of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state and natural condition of the mind. It is the teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition.Buddhist Terms E
Ego:
The "I" or "self" of any person as in thinking and feeling and distinguishing from the selves of others. Usually meant in a negative fashion considering falseness of illusion and delusion are constructed within the mind and called the ego. One enters the process of enlightenment or awakening by shedding the ego or the idea of the self.Eight-Fold Path:
The path that leads to enlightenment, awakening, nirvana. It is the fourth noble truth. It consists of eight principles of various conduct for an enlightened life.Embellish:
To embellish is to enhance with fictitious additions. I believe in many cases the Buddha's life and teachings have been embellished. I also believe they stand alone as the best teachings ever presented to mankind. That the Buddha was a remarkable person with great insight and ability to infer with great knowledge.Many religions and religious stories have been embellished. This is not a new concept. I believe this happens for a number of reasons. One is that many times the followers or even a single follower believes with such great intensity in their faith that they add to the story or stories to the point that the tales become near or totally incredulous. Two, many followers lean deeply to the mystical aspect of religion. This can happen so much that the individual enhances what he thought he saw or experienced. As a result a far-fetched tale arises.
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