Dharmacakra, symbol of the Dharma, the Buddha's teaching of the path to enlightenment
Buddhism (Pali and Sanskrit: बौद्ध धर्मBuddha Dharma) is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha, "the awakened one".
The following outline is provided as an overview of, and topical guide to, Buddhism.
Tathāgata — meaning "Thus Come One" and "Thus Gone One" simultaneously, the epithet the Buddha uses most often to refer to himself; occasionally it is used as a general designation for a person who has reached the highest attainment
The Four Sights — observations that affected Prince Siddhartha deeply and made him realize the sufferings of all beings, and compelled him to begin his spiritual journey
Theravada — literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", it is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India. It is relatively conservative, and generally closer to early Buddhism,[2] and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (now about 70% of the population[3]) and most of continental Southeast Asia.
Mahayana — literally the "Great Vehicle", it is the largest school of Buddhism, and originated in India. The term is also used for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice. According to the teachings of Mahāyāna traditions, "Mahāyāna" also refers to the path of seeking complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, also called "Bodhisattvayāna", or the "Bodhisattva Vehicle."[4][5]
Percentage of formal/practicing Buddhists by the numbers of registered adherents (according to the least estimates).Percentage of cultural/nominal adherents of combined Buddhism with its related religions (according to the highest estimates).
Perfect in true knowledge and conduct (vijjā-caraṇa sampanno • vidyā-caraṇa-saṃpanna)
Sublime (sugato • sugata)
Knower of the worlds (lokavidū • loka-vid)
Incomparable leader of persons to be tamed (anuttaro purisa-damma-sārathi • puruṣa-damya-sārathi)
Teacher of devas and humans (satthā deva-manussānaṃ • śāsta deva-manuṣyāṇaṃ)
The Enlightened One (buddho)
The Blessed One (bhagavā • bhagavat)
Dhamma (Dharma) — the cosmic principle of truth, lawfulness, and virtue discovered, fathomed, and taught by the Buddha; the Buddha's teaching as an expression of that principle; the teaching that leads to enlightenment and liberation
Well expounded by the Blessed One (svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo • svākhyāta)
Directly visible (sandiṭṭhiko • sāṃdṛṣṭika)
Immediate (akāliko • akālika)
Inviting one to come and see (ehi-passiko • ehipaśyika)
Worthy of application (opanayiko • avapraṇayika)
To be personally experienced by the wise (paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhi • pratyātmaṃ veditavyo vijñaiḥ)
Saṅgha (Saṃgha) — the spiritual community, which is twofold (1) the monastic Saṅgha, the order of monks and nuns; and (2) the noble Saṅgha, the spiritual community of noble disciples who have reached the stages of world-transcending realization
Practicing the good way (supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho)
Practicing the straight way (ujupaṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho)
Practicing the true way (ñāyapaṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho)
Practicing the proper way (sāmīcipaṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho)
Worthy of gifts (āhuṇeyyo)
Worthy of hospitality (pāhuṇeyyo)
Worthy of offerings (dakkhiṇeyyo)
Worthy of reverential salutation (añjalikaraṇīyo)
The unsurpassed field of merit for the world (anuttaraṃ puññākkhettaṃ lokassā)
Four Noble Truths (Cattāri ariyasaccāni • Catvāri āryasatyāni)
Describing the causal nature of everything in the universe, as expressed in the following formula:
When this is, that is. From the arising of this comes the arising of that. When this isn't, that isn't. From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that.
Definition — volitional action, considered particularly as a moral force capable of producing, for the agent, results that correspond to the ethical quality of the action; thus good karma produces happiness, and bad karma produces suffering
Utu Niyama — Physical Inorganic Order (seasonal changes and climate), the natural law pertaining to physical objects and changes in the natural environment, such as the weather; the way flowers bloom in the day and fold up at night; the way soil, water and nutrients help a tree to grow; and the way things disintegrate and decompose. This perspective emphasizes the changes brought about by heat or temperature
Bīja Niyama — Physical Organic Order (laws of heredity), the natural law pertaining to heredity, which is best described in the adage, "as the seed, so the fruit”
Citta Niyama — Order of Mind and Psychic Law (will of mind), the natural law pertaining to the workings of the mind, the process of cognition of sense objects and the mental reactions to them
Kamma Niyama — Order of Acts and Results (consequences of one's actions), the natural law pertaining to human behavior, the process of the generation of action and its results. In essence, this is summarized in the words, "good deeds bring good results, bad deeds bring bad results”
Dhamma Niyama — Order of the Norm (nature's tendency to produce a perfect type), the natural law governing the relationship and interdependence of all things: the way all things arise, exist and then cease. All conditions are subject to change, are in a state of affliction and are not self: this is the Norm
Eye-consciousness – seeing apprehended by the visual sense organs
Ear-consciousness – hearing apprehended by the auditory sense organs
Nose-consciousness – smelling apprehended through the olfactory organs
Tongue-consciousness – tasting perceived through the gustatory organs
Ideation-consciousness – the aspect of mind known in Sanskrit as the "mind monkey"; the consciousness of ideation
Body-consciousness – tactile feeling apprehended through skin contact, touch
The manas consciousness – obscuration-consciousness – a consciousness which through apprehension, gathers the hindrances, the poisons, the karmic formations
Store-house consciousness (ālāyavijñāna) — the seed consciousness, the consciousness which is the basis of the other seven
Mental proliferation (papañca • prapañca) — the deluded conceptualization of the world through the use of ever-expanding language and concepts
Identity view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi) — the view of a truly existent self either as identical with the five aggregates, or as existing in some relation to them
Doubt (vicikicchā) — doubt about the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Saṅgha, or the training
Wrong grasp of rules and observances (sīlabbata-parāmāsa) — the belief that mere external observances, particularly religious rituals and ascetic practices, can lead to liberation
Welfare and happiness directly visible in this present life, attained by fulfilling one's moral commitments and social responsibilities (diṭṭha-dhamma-hitasukha)
Welfare and happiness pertaining to the next life, attained by engaging in meritorious deeds (samparāyika-hitasukha)
The ultimate good or supreme goal, Nibbāna, final release from the cycle of rebirths, attained by developing the Noble Eightfold Path (paramattha)
Abstaining from using intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness
Abstaining from eating at the wrong time (the right time is eating once, after sunrise, before noon)
Abstaining from singing, dancing, playing music, attending entertainment performances, wearing perfume, and using cosmetics and garlands (decorative accessories)
Abstaining from luxurious places for sitting or sleeping
Pātimokkha (Pratimoksha) — the code of monastic rules binding on members of the Buddhist monastic order
Parajika (defeats) — four rules entailing expulsion from the sangha for life
Sexual intercourse, that is, any voluntary sexual interaction between a bhikkhu and a living being, except for mouth-to-mouth intercourse which falls under the sanghadisesa
Stealing, that is, the robbery of anything worth more than 1/24 troy ounce of gold (as determined by local law.)
Intentionally bringing about the death of a human being, even if it is still an embryo — whether by killing the person, arranging for an assassin to kill the person, inciting the person to die, or describing the advantages of death
Deliberately lying to another person that one has attained a superior human state, such as claiming to be an arahant when one knows one is not, or claiming to have attained one of the jhanas when one knows one hasn't
Sanghadisesa — thirteen rules requiring an initial and subsequent meeting of the sangha (communal meetings)
Aniyata — two indefinite rules where a monk is accused of having committed an offence with a woman in a screened (enclosed) or private place by a lay person
Nissaggiya pacittiya — thirty rules entailing "confession with forfeiture"
Pacittiya — ninety-two rules entailing confession
Patidesaniya — four violations which must be verbally acknowledged
Sekhiyavatta — seventy-five rules of training, which are mainly about the deportment of a monk
Sāruppa — proper behavior
Bhojanapatisamyutta — food
Dhammadesanāpatisamyutta — teaching dhamma
Pakinnaka — miscellaneous
Adhikarana-samatha — seven rules for settlement of legal processes that concern monks only
Samaya — a set of vows or precepts given to initiates of an esoteric Vajrayana Buddhist order
Ascetic practices (dhutanga) — a group of thirteen austerities, or ascetic practices, most commonly observed by Forest Monastics of the Theravada Tradition of Buddhism
I am subject to ageing, I am not exempt from ageing
I am subject to illness, I am not exempt from illness
I am subject to death, I am not exempt from death
There will be change and separation from all that I hold dear and near to me
I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, I am born of my actions, I am related to my actions and I have my actions as refuge; whatever I do, good or evil, of that I will be the heir
Buddhānussati (Buddhanusmrti) — Recollection of the Buddha — fixing the mind with attentiveness and reflecting repeatedly on the glorious virtues and attributes of Buddha
Dhammānussati (Dharmanusmrti) — Recollection of the Dhamma — reflecting with serious attentiveness repeatedly on the virtues and qualities of Buddha's teachings and his doctrine
Saṅghānussati (Sanghanusmrti) — Recollection of the Saṅgha — fixing the mind strongly and repeatedly upon the rare attributes and sanctity of the Sangha
Sīlānussati — Recollection of virtue — reflecting seriously and repeatedly on the purification of one's own morality or sīla
Cāgānussati — Recollection of generosity — reflecting repeatedly on the mind's purity in the noble act of one's own dāna, charitableness and liberality
Devatānussati — Recollection of deities — reflecting with serious and repeated attention on one's own complete possession of the qualities of absolute faith (saddhā), morality (sīla), learning (suta), liberality (cāga) and wisdom (paññā) just as the devas have, to enable one to be reborn in the world of devas
Maraṇānussati — Mindfulness of death — reflecting repeatedly on the inevitability of death
Kāyagatāsati — Mindfulness of the body — reflecting earnestly and repeatedly on the impurity of the body which is composed of the detestable 32 constituents such as hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, etc.
Ānāpānasati — Mindfulness of breathing — repeated reflection on the inhaled and exhaled breath
Upasamānussati — Recollection of peace — reflecting repeatedly with serious attentiveness on the supreme spiritual blissful state of Nirvana
Kōan — a story, dialogue, question, or statement in Zen, containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet may be accessible to intuition
Chöd — advanced spiritual practice and discipline arising from confluences of Bonpo, Mahasidda, Nyingmapa traditions and now practiced throughout the schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Nirvana (Nibbāna • Nirvāṇa) — the final goal of the Buddha's teaching; the unconditioned state beyond the round of rebirths, to be attained by the destruction of the defilements; Full Enlightenment or Awakening, the cessation of suffering; saupādisesa-nibbāna-dhātu – Nibbāna with residue remaining
Parinirvana (Parinibbāna • Parinirvāṇa) — final passing away of an enlightened person, final Nibbāna, Nibbāna at death; anupādisesa-nibbāna-dhātu – Nibbāna without residue remaining
Sammāsambuddha (Samyak-saṃbuddha) — one who, by his own efforts, attains Nirvana, having rediscovered the Noble Eightfold Path after it has been lost to humanity, and makes this Path known to others
Paccekabuddha (Pratyekabuddha) — "a lone Buddha", a self-awakened Buddha, but one who lacks the ability to spread the Dhamma to others
Sāvakabuddha (Śrāvakabuddha) — enlightened 'disciple of a Buddha'. Usual being named Arhat
Sotāpanna — Stream-enterer (first stage of enlightenment) — one who has "opened the eye of the Dhamma", and is guaranteed enlightenment after no more than seven successive rebirths, having eradicated the first three fetters
The four factors leading to stream-entry
Association with superior persons
Hearing the true Dhamma
Careful attention
Practice in accordance with the Dhamma
The four factors of a stream-enterer
Possessing confirmed confidence in the Buddha
Possessing confirmed confidence in the Dhamma
Possessing confirmed confidence in the Sangha
Possessing moral virtues dear to the noble ones
Sakadagami — Once-returner (second stage of enlightenment) — will be reborn into the human world once more, before attaining enlightenment, having eradicated the first three fetters and attenuated greed, hatred, and delusion
Anāgāmi — Non-returner (third stage of enlightenment) — does not come back into human existence, or any lower world, after death, but is reborn in the "Pure Abodes", where he will attain Nirvāṇa, having eradicated the first five fetters
Arahant — "Worthy One", (see also: Arhat), a fully enlightened human being who has abandoned all ten fetters, and who upon decease (Parinibbāna) will not be reborn in any world, having wholly abandoned saṃsāra
Mahayana
Bodhisattva — one who has generated bodhicitta, the spontaneous wish to attain Buddhahood
Bodhisattva Bhumis — stages of enlightenment through which a bodhisattva passes
Zen
Satori — a Japanese Buddhist term for "enlightenment", which translates as a flash of sudden awareness, or individual enlightenment
和尚，Heshang — high-ranking or highly virtuous Buddhist monk; respectful designation for Buddhist monks in general
僧侣，SengLv — Monk
住持，ZhuChi — Abbot
禅师，ChanShi — Chan/Zen Master
法师，FaShi — Dharma Master
律师，LvShi — Vinaya Master, teacher who focuses on the discipline and precepts
开山祖师，KaiShanZuShi — founder of a school of Buddhism or the founding abbot of a Zen monastery
比丘，BiQiu — transliteration of Bhikkhu
比丘尼，BiQiuNi — transliteration of Bhikkhuni
沙弥，ShaMi — transliteration of Samanera
沙弥尼，ShaMiNi — transliteration of Samaneri
尼姑，NiGu — Nun
论师，LunShi — Abhidharma Master, one who is well versed in the psychology, thesis and higher teachings of Buddhism
师兄，ShiXiong — dharma brothers, used by laity to address each other, note that all male or female lay disciples are called 'Dharma Brothers'
in Japan
Ajari — a Japanese term that is used in various schools of Buddhism in Japan, specifically Tendai and Shingon, in reference to a "senior monk who teaches students
和尚 Oshō — high-ranking or highly virtuous Buddhist monk; respectful designation for Buddhist monks in general
开山 Kaisan — founder of a school of Buddhism or the founding abbot of a Zen monastery
老师 Roshi — a Japanese honorific title used in Zen Buddhism that literally means "old teacher" or "elder master" and usually denotes the person who gives spiritual guidance to a Zen sangha
先生 Sensei — ordained teacher below the rank of roshi
Zen master — individual who teaches Zen Buddhism to others
Rinpoche — an honorific which literally means "precious one"
Tulku — an enlightened Tibetan Buddhist lama who has, through phowa and siddhi, consciously determined to take birth, often many times, to continue his or her Bodhisattva vow
Gautama Buddha — The Buddha, Siddhattha Gotama (Pali), Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit), Śākyamuni (Sage of the Sakya clan), The Awakened One, The Enlightened One, The Blessed One, Tathāgata (Thus Come One, Thus Gone One)
Buddha's disciples and early Buddhists
Chief Disciples
Sāriputta — Chief disciple, "General of the Dhamma", foremost in wisdom
Mahamoggallāna — Second chief disciple, foremost in psychic powers
Uposatha — the Buddhist observance days, falling on the days of the full moon and new moon, when the monks gather to recite the Pātimokkha and lay people often visit monasteries and temples to undertake the eight precepts
Kathina — festival which comes at the end of Vassa
Bodhisatta — a future Buddha, one destined to attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment; specifically, it is the term the Buddha uses to refer to himself in the period prior to his enlightenment, both in past lives and in his last life before he attained enlightenment
Borobudur — ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist Monument in Magelang, Indonesia
Brahmā — according to the brahmins, the supreme personal deity, but in the Buddha's teaching, a powerful deity who rules over a high divine state of existence called the brahma world; more generally, the word denotes the class of superior devas inhabiting the form realm
Buddhist Initiation Ritual — a public ordination ceremony wherein a lay student of Zen Buddhism receives certain Buddhist precepts, "a rite in which they publicly avow allegiance to 'The Three Refuges' of Buddhist practice: The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha
Kalpa (aeon) — an aeon or cosmic cycle, the period of time it takes for a world system to arise, evolve, dissolve, and persist in a state of disintegration before a new cycle begins
Kanthaka — Prince Siddhartha's favourite white horse
Māra — "The Evil One" or "Tempter"; a malevolent deity who tries to prevent people from practicing the Dhamma and thereby escaping the round of rebirths
Klesa-māra, or Māra as the embodiment of all unskillful emotions
Mrtyu-māra, or Māra as death, in the sense of the ceaseless round of birth and death
Skandha-māra, or Māra as metaphor for the entirety of conditioned existence
Devaputra-māra, or Māra the son of a deva (god), that is, Māra as an objectively existent being rather than as a metaphor
^Cousins, L.S. (1996); Buswell (2003), Vol. I, p. 82; and, Keown & Prebish (2004), p. 107. See also, Gombrich (1988/2002), p. 32: “…[T]he best we can say is that [the Buddha] was probably Enlightened between 550 and 450, more likely later rather than earlier."
^ Williams (2000, pp. 6-7) writes: "As a matter of fact Buddhism in mainland India itself had all but ceased to exist by the thirteenth century CE, although by that time it had spread to Tibet, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia." [1] (Originally 1958), "Chronology," p. xxix: "c. 1000-1200: Buddhism disappears as [an] organized religious force in India." See also, Robinson & Johnson (1970/1982), pp. 100-1, 108 Fig. 1; and, Harvey (1990/2007), pp. 139-40.
^Keown, Damien (2003), A Dictionary of Buddhism: p. 38
^"The Mahayana, 'Great Vehicle' or 'Great Carriage' (for carrying all beings to nirvana), is also, and perhaps more correctly and accurately, known as the Bodhisattvayana, the bodhisattva's vehicle." – Warder, A.K. (3rd edn. 1999). Indian Buddhism: p.338
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