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Dharma - Buddhism terms Category: History and Culture > Buddhism Date & country: 08/09/2014, JP Words: 77

aggregate(s)
See khandha.

Amitabha Buddha (Jap. Amida butsu)
'Limitless Light.' In Mahayana, the Buddha of the Western Paradise (the Pure Land). Also encountered in the aspect of Amitayuh (or Amitayus), 'Limitless Life.' Pure Land Buddhists practice recitation of the name of Amitabha.

anatta (Skt. anatman)
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).

avijja (Skt. avidya)
ignorance

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.

bodhisattva (Pali bodhisatta)
A future Buddha.

Buddha
The Enlightened (or Awakened) One. The First Refuge of the Triple Gem.

Chogye (alt. Jogye)
largest Buddhist sect in Korea

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.

dana
The practice of giving to accumulate merit.

defilement
see kilesa

Dharma (Pali Dhamma)
When spelled this way (capitalized), refers to the Teachings of the Buddha. The Second Refuge of the Triple Gem.

epistemology
In philosophy, the study of the nature and limits of knowledge.

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).

Gautama (alt. Gotama)
Family name of the Buddha.

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. :-)

insight meditation
See vipassana.

Jodo
Japanese Pure Land Buddhism.

Jodo Shinshu
The largest Jodo sect in modern Japan (in fact, the largest Buddhist sect of any kind in Japan, as far as the FAQ maintainer knows). See Shinran Shonin.

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.)

Lotus Sutra
The Saddharmapundarika Sutra, one of the Mahayana scriptures. Lotus Sutra Buddhists sometimes practice recitation of the title of the sutra. See daimoku.

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.

mappo
A prophesied end time of decadent Dharma in Japan. Several Buddhist traditions that arose in 12th century Japan (notably the practices of Nichiren and Shinran) are historically unintelligible unless seen against the backdrop of this prophecy.

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.

Nichiren Shoshu
A Nichiren sect founded in Japan in the foothills of Mt. Fuji in the 13th century. Its head temple is Taisekiji Temple.

Nichiren Shu
A Nichiren sect founded in Japan at Mt. Minobu in the 13th century. Its head temple is Kuonji Temple.

nirhoda
Cessation. (Specifically, the cessation of suffering in the Third Noble Truth.)

nirvana (Pali nibbana)
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.

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.

parinirvana (Pali parinibbana)
The end of the Buddha's physical existence (i.e., his death).

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.

Pure Land
See Amitabha.

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.

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 Japan.

Shakyamuni
Sage of the Shakya clan. Common epithet of the Buddha.

Shingon
A Japanese Vajrayana sect.

Siddhartha (Pali Siddhatta)
Personal name of the Buddha.

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.

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.

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.

upekkha
Equanimity. One of the brahmaviharas.

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).

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).