Buddhist terms and concepts
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear. In this list, an attempt has been made to organize terms by their original form and give translations and synonyms in other languages below the definition.
Languages and traditions dealt with here:
Chinese,
English,
Pāli (Theravada),
Sanskrit (or Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit) (primarily Mahayana),
Tibetan (Vajrayana),
Korean, Japanese ((Zen)), Thai (Theravada).
A
Ajahn; Ch. 阿闍梨, 阿闍梨耶; Jp. ajari, ajariya
addiction
alayavijnana
āgarika
- A white-robed student in the Theravada tradition, who for a few months, awaits being considered for Samanera ordination
- Pāli
- Mindfulness of the breath meditation
- Pāli
- Impermanence
- Pāli; Sanskrit: anitya
- A living person who has reached Enlightenment
- Pāli: arahat, arahant; Sanskrit: arhat, arhant ; Ch. 阿羅漢; Jp. arakan
B
- A monk
- Pāli; Sanskrit: bhikṣu
- Derivates: bhikkhuni/bhikṣuni: a Buddhist nun
- Awakening or Enlightenment
- Sanskrit; Pāli;
- The fig tree under which Gautama reached Enlightenment, and subsequently therefore the popular name for Ficus religiosa.
- A person with the intention to become a Buddha in order to liberate all other sentient beings from suffering.
- Sanskrit (Pali: bodhisatta)
- A Buddha. Also, the Buddha, Siddhārta Gautama
- From √budh, to awaken
- Sanskrit; Pāli
- The ability shared by sentient beings to achieve Englightenment.
D
dependent origination
- Suffering, dissatisfaction, stress
- Pāli; Sanskrit: duḥkha
- A difficult term to define. Often refers to the doctrines and teachings of the faith, but it may have broader uses. Also, it is an important technical term meaning something like “phenomenological constituent.” This leads to the potential for confusion, puns, and double entendres, as the latter meaning often has negative connotations.
- Pāli; Sanskrit: dharma
doan
- In Zen, a term for person sounding the bell that marks the beginning and end of Zazen
- Japanese
dokusan
- A private interview between a Zen student and his master. It is an important element in the Zen training, as it provides an opportunity for the student to discuss problems in his practice and to demonstrate his understanding.
- Japanese
dokusan
- A private interview between a Zen student and his master. It is an important element in the Zen training, as it provides an opportunity for the student to discuss problems in his practice and to demonstrate his understanding.
- Japanese
E
- The schools of Buddhism which arose in India after the time of the historical Buddha but before the time of the Mahāyāna, and which the Mahāyāna later criticized. These are sometimes identified as "Hīnayāna" by later schools. Also called śravakayāna.
F
fukudo
- In Zen, term for person who strikes the Han
- Japanese
G
- A position used for greeting, with the palms together and fingers pointing upwards in prayer position. It is used in the Zen tradition, but also common in many cultures in the East. It expresses greeting, request, thankfulness, reverence and prayer.
- Japanese *gongan
- Lit. "Public case." A meditative method developed in the Chan/Seon/Zen traditions, generally consisting of a problem that defies solution by means of rational thought
- Chinese; Japanese: koan (公案); Korean: gong'an
H
Han
- In Zen monasteries, wooden board that is struck announcing sunrise, sunset and the end of the day
- Japanese
I
ino
- In Zen, one of the leaders of a sesshin
- Japanese
J
- Meditative contemplation. More often associated with śamatha practices than vipaśyana. See also: shamata, samadhi, Kensho
- In Zen, enlightenment. Kensho has the same meaning as satori, but is customary used for an initial awakening experience.
- Japanese
- Zen walking meditation
- Japanese
- In Zen, a flattened stick used to strike the shoulders during zazen, to help overcome fatigue or reach satori. (Japanese)
L
- A Tibetan teacher or master. Equivalent to Sanskrit "guru".
- Tibetan
- The official record of the historical descent of dharma teachings from one teacher to another.
M
makyo
- In Zen, unpleasant or distracting thoughts or illusions that occur during zazen.
- Japanese
Madhyamaka
- Buddhist philosophical school, founded by Nāgārjuna. Members of this school are called Mādhyamikas.
- Sanskrit; Chinese: Sanlun ("Three Treatise")
- In Zen, a wooden drum carved from one piece, usually in the form of a fish.
- Japanese
Mokṣa
Mondo
- In Zen, a short dialogue between teacher and student.
- Japanese
- The practice of avoidance of extreme views and lifestyle choices
N
- Extinction or extinguishing; ultimate enlightenment in the Buddhist tradition.
- Pāli: nibbāna, Sanskrit: nirvāṇa
- Derivates: paranibbana/parinirvana - Final liberation (Pāli/Sanskrit)
O
oryoki
- Zen eating ceremony
- Japanese
P
- Lit. "reaching the other shore," usually rendered in English as "perfection." The Mahayana practices for obtaining enlightenment
- Sanskrit
- "Dependent origination," the view that no phenomenon exists (or comes about) without depending on other phenomena around it.
- Pāli; Sanskrit: pratātya-samutpāda
Purisa
- The practicing Buddhist community as a whole; Sangha and laity
R
- The process of continuity of life after death
- Zen sect emphasizing sudden enlightenment and koan study. Named for master Linji.
- Japanese; Chinese: Linji
Rohatsu
- A day in December (usually 8th) that marks the attainment of Nirvana by Buddha
- Japanese
Roshi
S
samanera/shramanera
- A male novice monk, who, after a year or until the ripe age of twenty, will be considered for the higher Bhikkhu ordination.
- Mental stabilization; tranquility meditation. Distinguished from vipāssana meditation.
- Pāli; Sanskrit: śamatha
samu
- Work, conceived as a part of Zen training.
- Japanese
- The cycle of birth and rebirth; the world as commonly experienced
- Sanskrit and Pali
saṃvṛti
- Conventional, as opposed to absolute, truth. See also, paramārtha.
- Sanskrit
- The community of Buddhist monks and nuns.
- Sanskrit
Sayadaw
- Burmese meditation master
- Awakening; understanding. A Japanese term for enlightenment
- Japanese; Chinese: wu
- Teacher; Zen teacher
- Japanese
- The five constituent elements into which an individual is analyzed. These are rūpa, "form", saṃjñā, "cognition", vedanā, "perception", *saṃskāras, "mental formations", *vijñāna, "consciousness".
- Sanskrit; Pāli: khandha
sesshin
- A Zen retreat where practitioners meditate, eat and work together for several days.
- Japanese
- Soto Zen. "Only concentrated on doing sitting" is the main meditation-method of Soto school of Zen-Buddhism in Japan.
- Emptiness. See also: Nāgārjuna
- Sanskrit; Pāli: suññatā
- Sect of Zen emphasizing shikantaza as the primary mode of practice. See also: Dogen
- Japanese
- Scripture. Originally referred to short aphoristic sayings and collections thereof.
- Pāli; Sanskrit: sutra
T
- Craving or desire
- Pali (Sanskrit: trsna)
tanto
- In Zen, one of the main leaders of a sesshin.
- Japanese
teisho
- A presentation by a Zen master during a sesshin. Rather than an explanation or exposition in the traditional sense, it is intended as a demonstration of Zen realisation.
- Japanese
Tenzo
- In Zen, the head cook for a sesshin
- Japanese
- The "Three Baskets"; canon containing the sacred texts for Buddhism (Tulku
- A re-incarnated Tibetan teacher
- Tibetan
U
- Expedient. (i.e., something useful, while not necessarily ultimately true) Originally used as a polemical device against other schools—calling them “merely” expedient, lacking in ultimate truth. Later sometimes used against ones own school as well, to prevent students form forming attachments to doctrines.
- Sanskrit
V
- The monastic rules of discipline for Buddhist monks & nuns.
- Pāli; Sanskrit
- Usually translated as “Insight” (lit. from √vis-drTemplate:SH, to “see apart”) meditation, most associated with the Theravada tradition, but present throughout Buddhism as an evolved tradition. Distinguished from Template:SHamatha meditation.
- Pāli; Sanskrit: vipaTemplate:SHyana
Z
- In Zen, a hall where Zen (usually meaning zazen) is practiced (see Dojo)
- Japanese
See also
