buddhist key words Flashcards
define ‘buddhism’:
a religion founded 2500 years ago by Siddhartha Gautama
define ‘buddha’:
translates to ‘enlightened one’. a title given to a person who has reached enlightenment, siddhartha gautama was the first buddha
define ‘ascetic’:
living a simple and strict lifestyle with few pleasures or possessions. they believe extreme self-discipline and self-denial will lead to spiritual wisdom
define ‘meditation’:
calming and focusing the mind. reflecting deeply on specific teachings and their meanings
define ‘enlightenment’:
gaining the knowledge and wisdom to break out of the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
define ‘samsara’:
the cycle of birth, death and rebirth
define ‘nirvana’:
freedom from the cycle of samsara
define ‘dependent arising’:
the idea that everything in life is interconnected - nothing is independent of other conditions
define ‘dharma’:
the buddha’s teachings
define ‘sangha’:
the buddhist community
define ‘tanha’:
craving, desiring, or wanting something
define the ‘eightfold path’:
8 guidelines that buddhists practice daily in order to achieve enlightenment
define the ‘threefold way’:
the three groups that the eight guidelines are divided into
define ‘theravada buddhism’:
translates into ‘school of the elders’. an ancient buddhist tradition that originated in southern asia
define the ‘five aggregates’:
the 5 aspects that make up a person
define ‘mahayana buddhism’:
describes later buddhist traditions such as zen, pure land, and tibetan buddhism
define ‘sunyata’:
emptiness; the concept that nothing has a separate, independent ‘self’ or ‘soul’
define ‘buddha-nature’:
the idea that we all have the essence of a buddha inside of us
define ‘buddha-hood’:
the term for when someone achieves enlightenment and becomes a buddha
define ‘arhat’:
a theravada buddhist who has become enlightened/a mahayana buddhist who’s on their way to enlightenment
define ‘bodhisattva’:
a mahayana buddhist who has become enlightened but chooses to stay in the cycle of samsara
define ‘dukkha’:
suffering, or dissatisfaction with life. a person may temporarily fulfil their desires but suffering is unavoidable
define ‘annica’:
the belief that all things, including the self, are impermanent and constantly changing
define ‘anatta’:
there is no such thing as an unchanging, permanent self - you could be a human in this life, but a worm with a completely different soul in the next
define ‘monastery’:
a building (s) occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows
define ‘temple’:
a building for religious worship
what is the ‘dhammapada’?
a source of wisdom and authority. a piece of Buddhist scripture that includes some of the most famous teachings (e.g. eightfold path)
define ‘Puja’:
an act of worship.
define ‘chanting’:
recitations from the Buddhist scriptures.
define ‘mantra’:
a short sequence of sacred syllables.
define ‘mala’:
prayer beads that are used to count the number of recitations during chanting and mantras.
define ‘kasina’:
something used for focus during samatha meditation (e.g. breathing).
define ‘samatha meditation’:
- ‘calming meditation’
- clearing your mind to focus and reflect on something specific.
define ‘vipassana meditation’:
- ‘insight meditation’
- a type of meditation which involves developing understanding of the nature of reality.
define ‘zazen meditation’:
- ‘seated meditation’
- a type of Zen meditation which requires awareness of the present moment.
define ‘visualisation’:
imagining or seeing an object in your mind’s eye.
define ‘thangka’:
a detailed painting of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva.
define ‘mandala’:
- an intricate, circle-shaped pattern that is used for meditation.
- a Buddhist would look at or create a mandala, while thinking about different teachings.
define ‘wesak’:
a Theravada festival that celebrates the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away.
define ‘karma’:
a person’s actions; the idea that skilful actions result in happiness and unskilful ones in suffering.
define ‘temple’:
a place where Buddhists can come together to practise.
define ‘gompa’:
a term used by Tibetan Buddhists to describe the meditation hall/building in a temple.
define ‘pagoda/stupa’:
a tiered tower or mound-like structure that is used to contain holy relics and often symbolises different teachings and scripture (Dharma).
define ‘shrine’:
an area with a statue of a Buddha/Bodhisattva, providing Buddhists with a focal point for meditation and devotion.
define ‘vihara’:
sanskrit for monastery. a place where buddhist monks and nuns live.
define ‘Vassa’:
rainy season. this is when Buddhist monks go on a retreat to learn more about Buddhism, and to focus on bettering themselves.
define ‘Parinirvana’:
the last stage of nirvana.
- recounted in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra
define ‘karuna’:
compassion; feeling concerned for the suffering of other people, and wanting to relieve their suffering.
define ‘moral’:
a feeling or belief about correct human ways to behave.
define ‘metta’:
loving-kindness.
