Buddhist terms and concepts

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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

[Top]

addiction

• See tanha

alayavijnana

• See Store consciousness.
• Tibetan: kun gzhi rnam shes; Japanese: 阿賴耶識 araya-shiki

āgarika

• A white-robed student in the Theravada tradition, who for a few months, awaits being considered for Samanera ordination
• Pāli

ānāpānasati

• Mindfulness of the breath meditation
• Pāli

anicca

• Impermanence
• Pāli; Sanskrit: anitya

anatta

• Doctrine of the nonexistence of the soul
• Pāli; Sanskrit: anātman; Ch. 無我; Jp. muga
• Thoughts Without a Thinker

arhat

• A living person who has reached Enlightenment
• Pāli: arahat, arahant; Sanskrit: arhat, arhant ; Ch. 阿羅漢; Jp. arakan

B

bhikkhu/bhikshu

• A monk
• Pāli; Sanskrit: bhikṣu
• Derivates: bhikkhuni/bhikṣuni: a Buddhist nun

bodhi

• Awakening or Enlightenment
• Sanskrit; Pāli;

bodhi tree

• The fig tree under which Gautama reached Enlightenment, and subsequently therefore the popular name for Ficus religiosa.

bodhisattva

• A person with the intention to become a Buddha in order to liberate all other sentient beings from suffering.
• Sanskrit (Pali: bodhisatta)

Buddha

• A Buddha. Also, the Buddha, Siddhārta Gautama
• From √budh, to awaken
• Sanskrit; Pāli

buddha nature

• The ability shared by sentient beings to achieve Englightenment.

D

dependent origination

• See pratitya-samutpada

dukkha

• Suffering, dissatisfaction, stress
• Pāli; Sanskrit: duḥkha

dhamma

• 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

dhyana (see jhāna)

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

Early Buddhist Schools

• 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

gassho

• 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

Jhana

• 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

kinhin

• Zen walking meditation
• Japanese

koan

• See #gongan

kyosaku

• In Zen, a flattened stick used to strike the shoulders during zazen, to help overcome fatigue or reach satori. (Japanese)

L

Lama

• A Tibetan teacher or master. Equivalent to Sanskrit "guru".
• Tibetan

Lineage

• 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")

Mokugyo

• In Zen, a wooden drum carved from one piece, usually in the form of a fish.
• Japanese

Mokṣa

• Liberation
• Sanskrit

Mondo

• In Zen, a short dialogue between teacher and student.
• Japanese

middle way

• The practice of avoidance of extreme views and lifestyle choices

N

nirvana

• 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

paramita

• Lit. "reaching the other shore," usually rendered in English as "perfection." The Mahayana practices for obtaining enlightenment
• Sanskrit

paṭicca-samuppāda

• "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

rebirth

• The process of continuity of life after death

Rinzai (臨済)

• 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

• Zen title
• Japanese

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.

samatha

• Mental stabilization; tranquility meditation. Distinguished from vipāssana meditation.
• Pāli; Sanskrit: śamatha

samu

• Work, conceived as a part of Zen training.
• Japanese

saṃsāra

• 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

saṅgha

• The community of Buddhist monks and nuns.
• Sanskrit

Sayadaw

• Burmese meditation master

satori

• Awakening; understanding. A Japanese term for enlightenment
• Japanese; Chinese: wu

sensei

• Teacher; Zen teacher
• Japanese

skandha

• 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

shikantaza (只管打座)

• Soto Zen. "Only concentrated on doing sitting" is the main meditation-method of Soto school of Zen-Buddhism in Japan.

śūnyatā

• Emptiness. See also: Nāgārjuna
• Sanskrit; Pāli: suññatā

sōtō-shū(曹洞 宗)

• Sect of Zen emphasizing shikantaza as the primary mode of practice. See also: Dogen
• Japanese

store consciousness

• The base consciousness (alayavijnana) taught in Yogacara Buddhism

sutta

• Scripture. Originally referred to short aphoristic sayings and collections thereof.
• Pāli; Sanskrit: sutra

T

tanha

• Craving or desire
• Pali (Sanskrit: trsna)

tanto

• In Zen, one of the main leaders of a sesshin.
• Japanese

Tathāgata

• The "Thus-Come One" or “Thus-Gone One”; One of the Buddha's ten epithets
• Sanskrit

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

Tripiṭaka

• The "Three Baskets"; canon containing the sacred texts for Buddhism (Tulku
• A re-incarnated Tibetan teacher
• Tibetan

U

upāya

• 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

Vināya

• The monastic rules of discipline for Buddhist monks & nuns.
• Pāli; Sanskrit

vipassana

• 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

zazen

• Zen meditation
• Japanese

Zendo

• In Zen, a hall where Zen (usually meaning zazen) is practiced (see Dojo)
• Japanese

See also

• Buddhism
• Buddhist texts
• Glossary for Zen