Theosophical Society,
Brief Glossary of Buddhist Terms
Buddhism has
several canonical languages. The chief ones are Pali (the main language of the
Theravada canon) and Sanskrit (the main language of the Mahayana canon). Other
languages that are sometimes encountered: Sinhalese (
Terms
transliterated from Asian languages have an undeniable in-group appeal—but
there are other (and better) reasons for using them. One reason is simply that these “foreign”
terms have the authority of 2500 years of tradition in many cases, and are
understood by members of all Buddhist traditions (even if their first language
is something like Finnish or Swahili). Another
reason is that the words that would have to be used to render a Pali or Sanskrit
technical term into English (or any other living language) are inevitably
freighted with unintended meanings. The advantage of using a “dead” language is
that semantic precision becomes less of a moving target.
A
note on spelling and usage
In cases where
more than one choice for a word is available, the FAQ maintainer has a tendency
to favor Pali. Some attempt has been made to indicate equivalent terms in other
languages, but this has not been done in all cases. If you find another
spelling more natural, send email to the FAQ maintainer so that the alternative
spelling can be included.
No attempt has
been made to preserve diacritical marks. Note: A number of the following definitions are
adapted from Nyanatiloka’s Buddhist Dictionary. Readers who are looking
for (Pali) terms not defined here, or who need more precise definitions or
references to the scriptures, are encouraged to consult Nyanatiloka. The
Nanamoli/Bodhi translation of the Majjhima Nikaya also contains discussions of
many terms. (See book list in section 5 for more info.)
A
aggregate(s)
See khandha.
alaya-vijnana
Usually
rendered ‘storehouse consciousness’. In Yogacara
philosophy, this is the underlying stratum of existence that is ‘perfumed’ by
volitional actions and thus ‘stores’ the moral effects of kamma. Note that it
is regarded as a conditioned phenomenon, not as a ‘soul’ in the sense of
Western religion. The theory is most fully elaborated by Vasubandhu in //Vij~napti-maatrataa-tri.msikaa//
and by Dharmapala in //Vij~napti-maatrataa-siddhi-“saastra//. The doctrine of
alaya-vijnana greatly influenced Chinese Buddhism and sects derived from it
(e.g. Zen). See also bhavanga.
Amitabha
Buddha (Jap. Amida butsu)
‘Limitless Light.’ In Mahayana, the Buddha of the
No-self. One of the Three Characteristics (q.v.). anicca (Skt. anitya)
Impermanence. One of the Three Characteristics. antinomianism The
idea that the Elect are above the moral law (as in some versions of ‘justification
by faith not by works’). arahant (Skt. arhat)
One who
has attained enlightenment. asava a ‘taint’ that
obstructs progress toward enlightenment. The Abhidhamma lists four asavas
(perhaps for convenient identification with the four supramundane paths?):
sensual desire, desire for eternal existence, speculative opinions and
ignorance. The Suttas usually list only three asavas, omitting explicit mention
of the taint of speculative opinions (but it is referred to implicitly, e.g. at
MN 2).
Avalokiteshvara
(Tib. Chenrezi, Chin. Kwan-Yin or Guanyin, Jap.
Kannon)
Mahayana
Bodhisattva of Compassion
avijja (Skt. avidya)
ignorance
B
bhavanga
Sometimes rendered ‘life-stream’. In Theravada Buddhism, this is the underlying
stratum of existence that is used to explain memory and other ‘temporal’
phenomena such as moral accountability. It is described by Buddhaghosa and
others as the natural condition of mind, bright and shining and free from
impurity. Note that it is regarded as a conditioned phenomenon, not as a ‘soul’
in the sense of Western religion. (The Sarvastivadin/Mahayana treatment of
bhavanga is different.) See also alaya-vijnana. bhikkhu, bhikkhuni
(Skt. bhikshu, bhikshuni)
monk, nun
bodhisattva (Pali bodhisatta)
A
future Buddha.
brahmaviharas
Four “sublime
abidings” (lit. ‘abodes of Brahma’) that accompany
spiritual development, consisting of compassion, loving kindness, sympathetic
joy for others, and equanimity toward the pleasant and the unpleasant.
Buddha
The Enlightened (or Awakened) One. The First Refuge of the
Triple Gem.
C
Chogye (alt. Jogye)
largest Buddhist sect in
conditioned phenomena
Phenomena
(dhammas) constituted of the five khandas (Skt. skandhas), objects for
paticcasamuppada (Skt. pratityasamutpada), subject to arising and passing away.
With a handful of exceptions (notably Enlightenment itself), all phenomena fall
into this category.
D
daimoku
The practice of chanting “
(His
Holiness the 14th) Dalai Lama
Leader of the Tibetan people in exile. Vajrayana Buddhists regard him as the living
embodiment of Avalokiteshvara (q.v.). Most other Buddhists, including Theravadins,
revere him as a teacher of very high spiritual attainment who works tirelessly
for peace and goodwill.
dana
The
practice of giving to accumulate merit.
defilement
see kilesa
dependent arising, dependent origination
See
paticcasamuppada.
dharma (Pali dhamma)
When spelled this
way (not capitalized), means roughly “phenomenon.”
Dharma (Pali
Dhamma)
When spelled
this way (capitalized), refers to the Teachings of the Buddha. The Second Refuge of the
Triple Gem. dukkha
Often rendered as “suffering,” but can span the whole range from excruciating pain
to not-getting-what-I-want. One of the Three Characteristics
(q.v.).
E
(Noble)
Eightfold Path
The Path
of the Fourth Noble Truth: Right Understanding, Right Thinking, Right Speech,
Right Attitude, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right
Concentration. epistemology
In philosophy, the study of the nature and limits of knowledge.
F
fetter
See samyojana.
Five Aggregates
See khandha.
Four Noble Truths
Suffering.
Suffering has a cause. Suffering has an end. There is a path that leads to the
cessation of suffering (see Eightfold Path).
G
Gautama (alt.
Gotama)
Family
name of the Buddha.
H
Heart
Sutra
The
Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra, one of several “perfection of wisdom” sutras in
the Mahayana scriptures. Calculatedly paradoxical in its language (“there is no
suffering, cause, cessation or path”). Central to most
Mahayana schools.
hermeneutics
The science of interpretation or exegesis of Scripture.
Hinayana
Lesser Vehicle. According to Walshe, this term was originally coined by Mahayana
polemicists to distinguish their path (seen as a ‘greater vehicle’ with room
for all) from the path of the Sarvastivadins (seen as a ‘lesser vehicle’ with
room for only one at a time). Over time, it came to be applied to the only
surviving member of the original ‘eighteen schools’ of Southern Buddhism,
Theravada (q.v.). Many Buddhists prefer the term Theravada, because ‘Hinayana’
is perceived to have negative connotations. hindrance see
nivarana; not to be confused with nirvana. :-)
I
insight meditation
See vipassana.
J
Jodo
Japanese
Pure Land Buddhism.
Jodo Shinshu
The largest Jodo sect in modern
K
karma (Pali kamma)
Literally,
“action.” Often translated “cause and effect.”
karuna
Compassion. One of the brahmaviharas.
khandha (Skt. skandha)
One of the
Five Aggregates of Clinging: matter (rupakhandha), sensations (vedanakhandha),
perceptions (sannakhandha), mental formations (sankharakhandha), consciousness
(vinnanakhandha). A starting point for Buddhist psychology.
kilesa (Skt. klesha) one of ten ‘defilements’
that are to be overcome through training, viz. greed, hate, delusion, conceit,
speculative views, skeptical doubt, mental torpor, restlessness, lack of shame,
and lack of moral dread. (A related term, upakkilesa, is also sometimes
translated as ‘defilement’ but ‘impurities’ may be preferable in that case.
Nyanatiloka’s dictionary has a discussion.)
L
Lotus
Sutra
The
Saddharmapundarika Sutra, one of the Mahayana scriptures. Lotus Sutra Buddhists
sometimes practice recitation of the title of the sutra. See daimoku.
M
mappo
A prophesied end time of decadent Dharma in
Mahayana
Greater Vehicle. The northern branch of Buddhism. More
doctrinally liberal than Theravada (recognizes several non-historical sutras as
canonical—it should be noted, however, that even Theravada gives canonical
authority to some non-historical works, such as the Jatakas or the Abhidhamma
for that matter). Strong focus on alleviation of suffering of
all sentient beings.
metta
Loving
kindness. One of the brahmaviharas.
mettabhavana
A meditation practice that develops loving kindness toward all
sentient beings.
mindfulness
See sati.
mudita
Sympathetic
joy. One
of the brahmaviharas.
N
nembutsu
The practice of chanting “Namu Amida Butsu” in Japanese Pure Land
Buddhism.
See
Amitabha.
Nichiren
Daishonin
Twelfth-century founder of a practice that is the basis of a number
of Lotus Sutra (q.v.) sects in
Nichiren
Shoshu
A Nichiren sect founded in
Nichiren
Shu
A Nichiren sect founded in
Absolute extinction of suffering and its causes. nivarana One of five ‘hindrances’ that obstruct the
development of concentration and insight: sensual desire, ill will,
sloth-and-torpor, restlessness and skeptical doubt. The scriptures compare them
respectively to water mixed with colors, boiling water, water covered by moss,
water whipped by wind, and muddy water.
O
ontology
In
philosophy, the branch of metaphysics that deals with the notion of Being per
se, as opposed to specific instances of it (such as God). Buddhist philosophy
is somewhat allergic to the notion of Being in the
sense of Western and/or Hindu philosophy, so most of what passes for
ontological discourse in other philosophies would be considered unintelligible
in Buddhism.
P
parinirvana
(Pali parinibbana)
The end of the Buddha’s physical existence (i.e., his death). paticcasamuppada (Skt. pratityasamutpada)
Dependent origination. The twelve-stage process that leads from
ignorance to rebirth. pratyekabuddha (Pali paccekabuddha)
A ‘solitary awakened one’. Sometimes used as a term of reproof, to refer to students
who get entangled in personal striving for illumination.
One of the characteristic marks of pratyekabuddhas is that they do not teach.
Precepts
A basic
set of standards for moral conduct: to refrain from killing, stealing, harmful
sexual behavior, lying and the use of intoxicants. These are the five “normal”
precepts for the laity; more extensive sets may apply to persons in special
circumstances, e.g. the monastic community.
Pure Land
See Amitabha.
S
samadhi
Concentration (as in the ‘right concentration’ of the Eightfold
Path). A state of one-pointedness of mind achievable through certain forms
of meditation. samatha
(Skt. shamatha)
‘Calmness’ meditation, a set of techniques for developing
one-pointedness of mind.
Cf. samadhi and sati. samsara
(lit. ‘wandering together’) The wheel of suffering and
rebirth. samyojana
one of ten ‘fetters’ that tie beings to the wheel of birth and death. They are:
belief in a substantial self, skeptical doubt, clinging to rules and ritual,
sensual craving, ill will, craving for fine-material existence, craving for
immaterial existence, conceit (mana), restlessness and ignorance. The first five are the ‘lower’ fetters; the
second five are the ‘upper’ fetters. In the Stream Enterer the first three
fetters have been destroyed; in the Once-Returner the next two are weakened,
and in the Non-Returner they are destroyed; in the Arahant all fetters have
been destroyed.
Sangha
A word with several associations. One meaning refers specifically to the Aryasangha
(Pali Ariyasangha—those who have attained to the supramundane Path). Another
meaning is the patimokkha sangha—the community of ordained monks and nuns.
Western Mahayanists sometimes use the word in yet a third sense, to refer to
the “mahasangha”—the community of all believers. The Sangha that is referred to
in the Triple Gem is the Ariyasangha; from an orthodox viewpoint (whether
Theravada or Mahayana), beings who have not cut off the defilements are not a
satisfactory object of refuge. sati (Skt. smrti, Jap. nen)
Mindfulness (as in the ‘right mindfulness’ of the Eightfold Path). Consciousness of/attention to experience here and now. Cf.
vipassana and samadhi.
Satipatthana
Sutta
The Discourse on the Basis of Mindfulness, a fundamental Buddhist
scripture describing methods of meditation. (Also cited by its Digha Nikaya title:
Mahasatipatthana
Sutta = the Greater Discourse on the Basis of Mindfulness.)
sensei
Teacher. Title of respect in
Shakyamuni
Sage
of the Shakya clan. Common epithet of the Buddha.
Shingon
A
Japanese Vajrayana sect.
Shinran Shonin
Twelfth-century
founder of Jodo Shinshu.
skandha
see khandha.
skillful means
Creating good causes for sentient beings to enter onto the Path. This includes practicing the five
perfections, explaining the Dharma in language a hearer can understand, etc.
Siddhartha
(Pali Siddhatta)
Personal name of the Buddha.
Soka Gakkai
International (SGI)
A Buddhist lay organization founded in the 20th century and
formerly affiliated with Nichiren Shoshu. Its headquarters is located in
soteriology
The
study of salvation.
sublime abidings
See brahmaviharas.
sutra (Pali sutta)
In
Theravada, a historical discourse of the Buddha as passed down by oral tradition
and ultimately committed to writing (the Suttapitaka was not actually compiled
in written form until circa 80 B.C.E., around the same time as the earliest
Mahayana sutras were set down in writing). In Mahayana, the set of canonical
sutras is enlarged to include some nonhistorical sermons—the Heart Sutra, the
Lotus Sutra, etc.
T
taint
see asava.
Tathagata
The
Thus-Gone One. An epithet of the Buddha.
thera, theri
elder monk, elder nun.
Theravada
The Way of the Elders. The southern branch of Buddhism. More
doctrinally conservative than Mahayana (narrower conception of what is
canonical). Strong focus on correct practice and right
conduct.
Thich
Nhat Hanh
A contemporary Vietnamese Zen monk and campaigner for peace. Among other things, he has suggested a ‘positive’
interpretation of the Precepts:
Reverence
for Life, Generosity, Sexual Responsibility, Deep Listening and Loving Speech,
and Mindful Consumption.
Three
Characteristics
All
conditioned phenomena are unsatisfactory, impermanent and devoid of Self.
Three
Poisons
Used as a
synonym for the three unwholesome roots (q.v.). We are not aware of any use of
this precise expression in the Pali Canon, but the English usage is fairly well
established. Not to be confused with the ‘taints’ (see asava). Three Unwholesome Roots three conditions that
determine the moral quality of unskillful volitional actions, viz. greed
(lobha), hate (dosa) and delusion (moha). Sometimes translated
in other ways, e.g. lust, ill-will and ignorance. See also kilesa. Three Wholesome Roots three
conditions that determine the moral quality of skillful volitional actions,
viz. non-greed, non-hate and non-delusion. Tipitaka (Skt. Tripitaka)
The Three
Baskets of Buddhist scripture, comprised of the
Suttapitaka (the discourses), the Vinayapitaka (rules governing the monastic
order) and the Abhidhammapitaka (Buddhist psychology). There are significant differences
between the Theravada and Mahayana canons.
Triple Gem
The
Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.
U
upekkha
Equanimity. One of the
brahmaviharas.
V
Vajrayana
Sometimes translated Thunderbolt Vehicle (or Diamond Vehicle). A development of Mahayana Buddhism that
includes several features of Indian philosophy not found elsewhere (e.g.,
tantric yoga). Strong emphasis on teacher-student relationship.
vetulyavada This
term or one of its cognates (vetulyaka, vetullaka, vaipulyavada, etc.) is found
in a few Theravada sources, e.g. at Kathavatthu XXIII. Originally, the terms
designated a pre- (possibly proto-) Mahayana doctrine that was regarded as
heretical by the more orthodox. Later, some Theravada writers may have adopted
it as a polemical label for Mahayana per se—which is reminiscent of the history
and use of the word ‘hinayana’ by certain Mahayana writers. See hinayana. vipassana (Skt. vipashyana)
Insight, seeing things as they are. Also used to refer to
insight meditation, a technique that develops attention to the arising and
passing away of conditioned phenomena (Theravada) or attention to the emptiness
of conditioned phenomena (Mahayana).
Z
Zen (Chin.
Ch’an)
A Buddhist
tradition founded in China as a result of the teaching of Bodhidharma, circa
475 C.E. Found today mostly in Vietnam, Japan and Korea (and of course various
centers in the West).
Esoteric Buddhism By A P Sinnet
Theosophical Society,
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