Buddhist Terms Flashcards
anatta
The Universal Truth that the soul is insubstantial, denying a real or permanent self.
Anicca
Impermenance, The idea of instability, nothing being permanent.
Arhat
In Theravada Buddhism, 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.
When the buddha was an ascetic he lived in a forest, slept on a bed of thorns, ate very little and meditated.
He realised he couldn’t meditate properly living this way making himself suffer limiting his ability to become enlightened.
Due to this he lived the middle way in between suffering and luxury
Bodhisattva
A being destined for enlightenment, postponing final attainment of Buddhahood to help others.
Buddha
The enlightened one, an awakened or enlightened person.
Buddhahood
Enlightenment, the fundamental nature of all beings.
Buddha Nature
The fundamental nature of all beings, allowing all to attain Buddhahood.
Buddha rupa
An image of a being that has achieved Buddhahood.
chanting
Singing or intoning as a form of meditation.
compassion
Karuna. Part of the spiritual path, expressing loving kindness.
concentration
Focusing one’s attention, a key aspect of meditation.
consciousness
The awareness of something without or before recognition.
dependent arising
The belief that everything in existence is interconnected and affects each other.
Puja
A devotional ritual. A ceremony involving meditation, prayer, and offerings.
dhamma
Universal law, ultimate truth, the teachings of Buddha.
Dhammapada
A sacred text of the Pali tradition with 426 verses.
dukkha
Suffering, unsatisfactoriness, the nature of life.
The Eightfold Path
The way to wisdom, mental training, and the way of morality.
Right View
Right Intention
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
energy
Relates to making a courageous effort to attain enlightenment.
ethics
Moral conduct, striving to be freed from the cycle of rebirth.
The Five Aggregates
Refers to matter, sense organs, and the objects of their experience.
Form
Sensation - Feelings that arise from our sense organs
Perception
Mental Formation
Consciousness
the Four Noble Truths
Suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, the path to the end of suffering.
Dukkha
Samudaya
Nirodha
Magga
the Four Sights
Gautama’s encounters with illness, old age, death, and a holy man.
gompas
Tibetan monasteries associated with learning.
the Three Poisons
Ignorance, greed, and hate, the three roots of suffering.
intoxicants
Substances that cloud the mind, hindering spiritual progress.
Jataka
Stories about the previous lives of the Buddha.