Buddhism Full Flashcards
Anatta
Not self
No fixed self, no soul; the Universal Truth that the soul is insubstantial; that people change in the course of their lives; denial of a real or permanent self.
Anicca
Impermanence
Dukkha
Suffering
Arhat
Perfect person
In Theravada Buddhism this is a term for a person who has attained nibbana
Ascetic
A life free from worldly pleasures (especially sexual activity and consumption of alcohol), often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals.
Bodhisattva
A concept in Mahayana Buddhism. A being destined for enlightenment, who postpones final attainment of Buddhahood in order to help living beings.
Buddha
- Historically the Buddha - the enlightened one.
- An awakened or enlightened person.
Buddhahood
Enlightenment
Buddha-nature
In Mahayana Buddhism this refers to the fundamental nature of all beings, which means that all beings can attain Buddhahood
Buddha rupa
An image of a being that has achieved Buddhahood.
Chanting
Singing or intoning
Compassion
Karuna; pity; part of the spiritual path.
Concentration
Focusing one’s attention.
Consciousness
The fifth of the Five Aggregates. Awareness of something without or before recognition (perception).
Dependant arising
The idea that everything is dependant in something else.
Paticcasamupada
Devotional ritual
Puja. A ceremony that involves meditation, prayer and offerings.
Dhamma
Universal law; ultimate truth; the teachings of Buddha. Spelt in Sanskrit as dharma
Dhammapada
A sacred text of the Pali tradition with 426 verses.
The Eightfold Path
The fourth Noble Truth. Magga. The Middle Way. The way to wisdom; mental training and the way of morality. Eight stages to be practised simultaneously.
Energy
One of the six perfections, it relates to making a courageous effort to attain enlightenment.
Enlightenment
Wisdom or understanding enabling clarity of perception; this allows a Buddhist to be freed from the cycle of rebirth.
The Five Aggregates
form, sensation, perception, mental formation, consciousness
The idea that one’s being is composed of these five factors
The five moral precepts
- To not kill any living being
- refrain from stealing
- refrain from wrongful sexual activity
- refrain from lying
- refrain from taking drugs and alcohol that cloud the mind.
Form
The first of the Five Aggregates. It refers to matter, to the sense organs and the objects of their experience
The Four Noble Truths
Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, Magga (suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, the path to the end of suffering).
The Four Sights
Gautama’s four encounters with illness, old age, death and a holy man.
Generosity
One of the six perfections. The sincere and selfless desire to benefit others with no expectation of reward.
Greed
One of the Three Poisons, it is the attachment to material things, sensual desire.
The cause of suffering
Hate
One of the Three Poisons, it is about wishing others harm, anger, hostility etc.
Ignorance
One of the Three Poisons, it is the inability to see things as they really are.
Impermanence
Anicca. The idea of instability, nothing being permanent.
Jataka
The Jataka Tales are stories about the previous lives of the Buddha.
Kamma
Literally ‘action’. Deliberate actions that affect the believer’s circumstances in this and future lives; cause and effect.
Karma
The Sanskrit form of kamma. Literally ‘action’. Actions that determine what happens in your next life