Buddism Beliefs Terms Flashcards
Amitabha Buddha
The Buddha worshipped by pure land buddhists
Anatta
The idea that people don’t have a permanent, fixed self or soul
Anicca
Impermanence; the idea that everything changes
Arhat
For Theravada Buddhists, someone who has become enlightened
Ascetic
Living a simple and strict lifestyle with few pleasures or possessions; someone who follows ascetic practices
Bodhisattva
For Mahayana Buddhists , someone who has become enlightened but chooses to remain in the cycle of samsara to help others
Buddha
A title given to someone who has achieved enlightenment
Buddha rupa
A statue of the Buddha often sitting cross legged in a meditation pose
Buddhahood
When someone achieves enlightenment and becomes a Buddha
Buddha nature
The idea that everyone has the essence of a Buddha inside them
Chanting
In Buddhism, reciting from Buddhist scriptures
Dependent arising
The idea that all things arise in dependence upon conditions
Dharma
The Buddha’s teachings
Dukkha
The first noble truth; there is suffering
Engaged Buddhism
A movement in Buddhism that is particularly concerned with applying the Buddha’s teachings to matters of social and environmental injustice
Enlightenment
The gaining of knowledge about god self or the nature of reality usually through meditation and self discipline in Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist traditions gaining freedom from the cycle of rebirth
Ethics
A section of the freefold way that emphasises the importance of skilful action as the basis of spiritual progress
Festival
A day or period of celebration for religious reasons
Gompa
A hall or building where Tibetan Buddhists meditate
Greed
Selfish desire for something
Jataka
The jataka tales are popular stories of the lives of the Buddha
Karma
A person’s actions; the idea that skilful actions result in happiness and unskilful ones in suffering
Karuna
Compassion; feeling concerned for the suffering of others and wanting to relieve their suffering
Magga
The fourth noble truth: the way to stop suffering; the eightfold path
Mahayana Buddhism
An umbrella term to describe some later Buddhist traditions including pure land , Tibetan and zen
Mala
Prayer beads that are used to count the number of recitations in a mantra
Mandala
An intricate, circle shaped pattern that is used for meditation
Mantra
A short sequence of sacred syllables
Mara
A demon that represents spiritual obstacles especially temptation
Meditation
A practice of calming and focusing the mind and reflecting deeply on specific teachings to penetrate their true meaning
Samadhi meditation
A section of the freefold way that emphasises the role of meditation in the process of spiritual development
Metta
Loving kindness; showing a benevolent , kind, friendly attitude towards others
Mindfulness of breathing
A meditation practice focusing on the experience of breathing
Vihara
A place where Buddhist monks and nuns live
Nirvana
A state of complete enlightenment, happiness and peace
Nidanas
12 factors that illustrate the process of birth, death and rebirth
Nirodha
The third noble truth: suffering can be stopped
Pali
The language of the earliest Buddhist scriptures
Parinirvana day
A Mahayana festival that commemorates the Buddha’s passing away
Puja
An act of worship
Pure land Buddhism
A Mahayana form of Buddhism on the belief in amitabha buddha
Retreat
A period of time spent away from everyday life in order to focus on meditation practice
Samatha meditation
Calming meditation; a type of meditation that involves calming the mind
Samsara
The repeating cycle of birth, life death and rebirth
Samudaya
The second noble truth: there are causes of suffering
Sanskrit
The language used in later Indian Buddhist texts
A shrine
An area within a statue of the bodhisattva which provides Buddhists with a focal point for meditation and devotion
