Abhidhamma (Abhidharma)
Further or higher teaching. The philosophy and psychology of Buddhism in abstract, systematic form.

Abhidhamma Pitaka (Abhidharma Pitaka)
This is the third of the three principal sections of the canon of basic scripture. It is a systematic, philosophical treatment of the teachings given in the Sutta Pitaka.

Agama ( Skt )
Section of the Buddhist Canon.

Amitabha, Amitayus
Also Amida (Japanese). Buddha of unlimited light and life respectively.

Ananda
Disciple of the Buddha.

Anatta (Anatman)
Without soul, self or ego. Insubstantiality; denial of a real or permanent self.

Anicca (Anitya)
Impermanence; transience. Instability of all things, including self.

Arahat, Arahant (Arhat)
Enlightened disciple. The fourth and highest stage of Realisation recognised by the Theravada tradition. One whose mind is free from all greed, hatred and ignorance (Three Fires).

Asanga
Indian Buddhist scholar and said to be the founder of the Cittamatra tradition. (310-90?CE)

Ashoka
The first Buddhist Emperor of India in the 3rd century BCE.

Asura
Fighting demons who live in one of the Six Realm of the Wheel of Life.

Atta (Atman)
Self, soul.

Avijia(Avidya)
Ignorance; delusion.

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Bhikkhu (Bhikshu)
Fully ordained Buddhist monk.

Bhikkhuni (Bhikshuni)
Fully ordained Buddhist nun.

Bodhi Tree
The tree (ficus religiosa) under which the Buddha realised Enlightenment.

Bodhicitta
A Bodhisattva’s aspiration.

Bodhisatta
A Wisdom Being. One intent on becoming, or destined to become, a Buddha. Gotama, before his enlightenment as the historical Buddha.

Bodhisattava (Skt.)
A being destined for Enlightenment, who postpones final attainment of Buddhahood in order to help living beings (See Mahayana).

Buddha
Awakened or Enlightened One.

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Citta
Mind/heart, (class of) consciousness.

Canon
A collection of sacred books accepted as genuine.

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Dalai Lama (Tibetan)
Great Ocean. Spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people.

Dana
Generosity, giving, gift. The first of the Six Paramitas (perfections).

Dhamma (Dharma)
Universal law, ultimate truth. The teachings of the Buddha. A key Buddhist term.

Dhammapada (Dharmapada)
Well-known scriptures of 423 verses.

Dukkha (Duhkha)
Suffering, unsatisfactoriness. The nature of existence according to the first Noble Truth.

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Enlightenment
Awakening. Realization of the truth of the way things are and the end of rebirth.

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Four Noble Truth
(1) Suffering. (2) The cause of suffering. (3) The end of suffering. (4) The Noble Eightfold Path.

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Gotama (Gautama)
Family name of the Buddha.

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- I -

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Jataka
Birth story. Accounts of the previous lives of the Buddha, illustrating Buddhist ethical ideas.

Jhana (Dhyana)
Also Ch’an (Chinese) and Zen (Japanese). Advanced meditation. The fifth of the Six Paramitas.

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Kamma (Karma)
Action. Intentional actions that affect one’s circumstances in this and future lives. The Buddha’s insistence that the effect depends on volition marks the Buddhist treatment of kamma as different from the Hindu understanding of karma.

Karuna
Compassion.

Khandha (Skandha)
Heap; aggregate. The Five Khandhas together make up the ‘person’ (form, feeling, perception, mental formation and consciousness).

Khanti (Kshanti)
Patience; forbearance. The third of the Six Paramitas (perfections).

Kilesa (Klesa)
Fire or mental defilement, such as desire, anger or delusion. (The Three Fires)

Koan (Japanese)
A technical term used in Zen Buddhism referring to enigmatic or paradoxical questions used by teachers to develop students’ intuition. Also refers to religious problems encountered in daily life.

Kwan-in (Chinese)
Also, Kannon (Japanese). Bodhisattva of Compassion, depicted sometimes in female form. Identified with Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.

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Lama (Tibetan)
Teacher, or one who is revered.

Lotus Sutra
A scripture of major importance to various schools within the Mahayana tradition. It describes the virtues of the Boddhisattva, and emphasises that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature and can attain Enlightenment (Nirvana).

Loving kindness
Affectionate consideration for others (Metta).

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Magga (Marga)
Path, leading to cessation of suffering. The fourth Noble Truth. The Noble Eightfold Path.

Mahayana
Great Way or Vehicle . Teachings that spread from India into Tibet, parts of Asia and the Far East, characterised by the Bodhisattva ideal and the prominence given to the development of both compassion and wisdom. Some centuries after the Buddha Mahayana began to be expounded from monasteries throughout India.

Mandala
A pictorial diagram of the world, and of a person, used in meditation and Tantric rituals.

Manjusri
Bodhisattva of Wisdom.

Mantra
Set of words with a religious significance and power.

Meditation
Bhavana (Pali). Development of the mind leading to awareness, tranquillity and wisdom.

Metta (Maitri)
Loving kindness. A pure love which is neither grasping nor possessive.

Maitreya
One who has the nature of loving kindness. Name of the future Buddha.

Mudra
Ritual gesture, as illustrated by the hands of Buddha images.

Mudita
Sympathetic joy. Welcoming the good fortune of others.

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Nibbana (Nirvana)
Blowing out of the fires of desire, anger and delusion, and the state of perfect peace that follows. The end of rebirth. A key Buddhist term.

Nirodha
End (of suffering). The third Noble Truth.

Noble Eightfold Path
The path to be followed by a Buddhist, leading to end of suffering. The fourth Noble Truth. The Middle Way.

Non-attachment
Not being attached to anything, including ‘I’.

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Panna (Prajna)
Wisdom. Understanding the true nature of things. The sixth of the Six Paramitas.

Parami (Paramita)
A perfection or virtue. One of the six or ten perfections necessary for the attainment of Buddhahood.

Parinibbana (Parinirvana)
Final and complete nirvana reached at the passing away of a Buddha.

Patimokkha (Pratimoksha)
The training rules of a monk or nun – 227 in the case of a Theravada monk. Precepts.

Pitaka
Basket. Collection of scriptures (see Tipitaka).

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- R -

Rupa
Form. Used of an image of the Buddha; also, the first of the Five Khandhas.

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Sakyamuni (Shakyamuni)
Sage of the Sakyas (the tribe of the Buddha). Title of the historical Buddha.

Samadhi
Meditative absorption. A state of deep meditation.

Samatha
A state of concentrated calmness: meditation (see Vipassana).

Samsara
Life of impermanence. The continual round of birth, illness, old age and death, which can be transcended by following the Noble Eightfold Path and Buddhist teaching.

Samudaya
Arising; origin of suffering. The second Noble Truth.

Sangha
Community; assembly. Often used for the order of monks and nuns in Theravadin countries. In the Mahayana countries, the Sangha includes lay devotees and priests, eg in Japan.

Sankhara (Samskara)
Mental/karmic formation. The fourth of the Five Khandhas.

Sanna (Samjna)
Perception. The third of the Five Khandas.

Satori (Japanese)
Awakening. A term used in Zen Buddhism.

Siddattha (Siddhartha)
Wish-fulfilled. The personal name of the historical Buddha.

Sila
Moral discipline. The second of the Six Paramitas.

Six Paramitas
Six perfections in Mahayana schools which form the path to Buddhahood.

Stupa
A circular structure containing Buddhist relics.

Sunyata
Emptiness. A Mahayana idea: nothing has an existence of its own.

Sutta (Sutra)
A Dhamma text.

Sutta Pitaka (Sutra Pitaka)
The second of the three collections – principally of teachings – that comprise the canon of basic scripture.

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Tanha (Trishna)
Thirst; craving; desire (rooted in ignorance). One of the Three Fires; the cause of suffering.

Tathagata
Another epithet for the Buddha. Nyorai in Japanese.

Theravada (Sthaviravada)
Way of the elders. A principal school of Buddhism, established in Sri Lanka and South East Asia. Also found in the West.

Tipitaka (Tripitaka)
Three baskets. A threefold collection of texts (Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidamma).

Tiratana (Triratna)
The Three Refuges. Buddha , the Dhamma and the Sangha. Another way of referring to the Three Jewels.

Tsong Khapa (Tibetan)
Tibetan scholar and commentator of Madhyamika philosophy. (1357 - 1419?)

Tuluku (Tibetan)
Reincarnated Lama.

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Upaya
Skilful means.

Upekkha (Upeksa)
Equanimity; evenness of mind.

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Vajrayana
Thunderbolt; Diamond Way. Teachings promulgated later, mainly in India and Tibet. Another term for esoteric Buddhism.

Vassa
Seclusion during the rainy season.

Vasubandu
Indian Buddhist Scholar said to be Asanga's brother. ( 4th century CE)

Vedana
Feeling. The second of the Five Khandhas.

Vihara
Dwelling place; monastery.

Vimalakirti
Yuima in Japanese. Protagonist of the Mahayana Vimalakirti-nirdesa Sutra.

Vinaya
The rules of discipline of monastic life.

Vinaya Pitaka
The first of the three collections of the canon of basic scripture, containing mostly the discipline for monks and nuns, with many stories and some teachings.

Vinnana (Vijnana)
Consciousness. The fifth of the Five Khandhas.

Vipassana (Vipashyna)
Insight into the true nature of things. A particular form of meditation (see Samatha).

Viriya (Virya)
Energy; exertion. The fourth of the Six Paramita.

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Wesak (Vesak: Sinhalese)
Buddha Day. Name of a festival and a month. On the full moon of Wesak (in May or June), the birth, Enlightenment and passing away of the Buddha took place, although some schools celebrate only the birth at this time, eg Zen.

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- Y -

Yogacara
School of Mahayana Buddhism based on Asanga and Vasubandhu's teachings.

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Zazen (Japanese)
Seated meditation, as in Zen Buddhism.

Zen (Japanese)
Meditation. Derived from the Chinese ‘Ch’an’ and the Sanskrit ‘dhyana’. A school of Mahayana Buddhism that developed in China and Japan.