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A Zen glossary Category: People and society > Zen Date & country: 11/11/2007, UK Words: 527

Senju Kannon
Kannon with a thousand arms

sensei
teacher

setsuna jodo
to attain Buddhahood in a single moment, whilst still in a mortal body

settai
giving to pilgrims

Shaka Nyorai
Shakyamuni Buddha; the historical Buddha

shaku
unit of measure just over a foot in length

shakujo
a Buddhist priest's staff mad from wood and metal

shami
a male Buddhist novice vowed to observe the 10 precepts

shamon
a novice, wanderer, monk or priest

shari
relic of the Buddha or priest

Sharihotsu
Shariputra disciple of the Buddha

shi tai
the four noble truths

Shigu Seigan
the Four Vows, see Shiku seigon

Shiho
dharma transmission

shikantaza
' just (nothing but) sitting '; meditation using no devices such as breath counting or a koan

Shikaryo
general directing office of a monastery

shiki
consciousness : realms 1 to 6 are taste, sight, sound, smell, touch, intellect; 7 is Manas ( the source of persistent I Awareness ); 8 is Alaya vijnana or 'seed' repository

shiki soku ze ku, ku soko ze shiki
' Phenomena become emptiness, emptiness becomes phenomena ', the core sentence of the Heart Sutra

shikishin funi
concept of indivisible oneness of mind and body

shiku seigon
the Four Vows:
Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them;
Desires are inexhaustible, I vow to put an end to them;
The Dharmas are boundless, I vow to master them;
The Buddha Way is unsurpassable, I vow to attain it.

shin
mind, soul, spirit,'heart', intuition, will, True Self, Buddha Nature

Shin Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism

shin jin datsu raku
' body and mind dropped away '

shin san shiki
Abbot installing ceremony

shin to
'new arrival', novive awaiting admission to a monastery

shingi
rules of monastic daily life; also used as a suffix

shingon
mantra, shortreligious text or word, 'true words'

Shingon
esoteric sect of Buddhism

shiryo
thinking

shisho
the four modes of birth : from womb, egg, moisture or metamorphosis

shisho
teacher, tutor

sho
satori, wisdom, understanding

sho
sentient beings

sho Butsu ichi nyo
' sentient beings and Buddha are not two (different) '

Sho Kannon
human shaped form of Kannon, usually protrayed standing and holding a lotus and a vial/vase of water of compassion

shobo
'the true law', the first period of Buddhism

Shobogenzo
book by Zen Master Dogen 'Treasury of the True Dharma Eye'

shodo
'way of writing', caligraphy

shoji
tinted paper screens forming the walls of Japanese rooms

shoji
= samsara (Skt.)the realm of birth and death

shojin ryori
Zen style vegetarian cuisine

Shojo
Hinayana Buddhism

shoken or shokan
'seeing one another', first dokusan between student and master after the student's enlightenment has been recognised

shomon
'one who hears', a disciple

Shoshi
'genuine master'

Shoshigata
the Patriarchs of Zen; 28 in India and 6 in China

shoso funi
'nature and form are not two'

shu
practice

shujo honra hotoke nari
'all beings are endowed with Buddha nature from the very beginning'

shura
asuras ; titans

shura
Buddha curl, small tuft of hair left on head which is removed during the ordination ceremony

shuryo or sodo
trainee's hall

Shushosho
Chief Junior trainee selected by Abbot to lead trainees for 100 days

Shuso
head monk or head of designated training period, usually 3 months, ensures that the rules of the dojo are followed

Shusogi
What is truly meant by Training and Enlightenment, compiled extracts from the Shobgenzo

So
Buddhist Priest

So
Sangha

Sodan
Sangha

Sodo
monk's dormitory in a Zen monastery

sodo or semmen dojo or zendo
temple or monastery

Sojo
Buddhist High Priest

sokoshin jobutsu
manifesting one's Buddha Nature

Sonja
honorific title of an Indian Zen Patriarch

sosan
listening to roshi's lectures as a group

Soto
Zen sect (ts'ao tung Ch.)

Sotoba
Stupa

taiko
senior member of the priesthood who has undergone at least 5 years training

taiso
title meaning 'Great Ancestor'

takuan
pickled raddish

takushatsu
'holding the bowl', religious mendicancy, begging for food and alms

Tamo
Bodhidharma

tan
wooden platform about 3 ft high around zendo where trainees sit, eat and sleep

tan to
head of the tan

tang zume
'staying in the guest's room', trial period for a monk requesting acceptance into a monastery

tanga or tanka
overnight stay of wandering monk in a monastery

tanka
short poem, 5:7:5:7:7 syllables

tariki
'power of others',power of Amitabha Buddha to liberate those who recite his name

tatami
rice straw mat, about 6ft x 3ft

Tatchu
residential sub temple of a Zen Monastery

teisho
' Dharma talks '; lecture

tekiden
'authorised transmission'

Ten
Deva ; 'god'

Ten
one of 6 worlds, Deva realm, heaven

Ten doku
'read revolving' recitation of long sutras with each monk reading the beginning and end of a volume

Tendai
(T'ien t'ai Ch.) Buddhist sect

tengetsu
clear penetrating vision, beyond normal human vision

tenjo
devas ; gods

tenkien
senior priest on night duty in training temple

tennitsu
clear penetrating hearing, beyond normal human hearing

Tenzo
cook in monastery

Tera
temple

Toba
Stupa

tokonoma
alcove in Tea House with a work of art, caligraphy or painting

tokudo
monk ordination ceremony : ' leaving home '

tomoe
Buddhist swastika symbol

Torii
distinctive gateway to a Shinto Temple

Tosotsuten
Tushita Heaven, the fourth heaven of Buddhist mythology

Tosu
Lavatory of a Zen Monastery

uji
existence, flow, time

unno
'cloud robe' = unsui