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Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear. In this list, an attempt has been made to organize terms by their original form and give translations and synonyms in other languages below the definition.
Languages and traditions dealt with here:
A| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| Abhidhamma Pitaka The third basket of the Tripitaka canon, the reorganization of all doctrines in a systematic way | - Pāli: Abhidhamma-piṭaka
- Sanskrit: Abhidharma-piṭaka
| 論藏, 論蔵 - Cn: ??
- Jp: ronzō
- Vi: Luận tạng
| | acariya, lit. "teacher", One of the two teachers of a starting out monk - the other one is called upādhyāya | - Pāli: ācāriya
- Sanskrit: ācārya
| 阿闍梨, 阿闍梨耶 - Cn: ??
- Jp: ajari or ajariya
- Vi: a-xà-lê
| | addiction, see tanha | | | | agama The Buddhist texts in Sanskrit | | 阿含 - Cn: ??
- Jp: agon
- Vi: A-hàm
| | alayavijnana, see Store consciousness | - Pāli, Sanskrit: ālayavijñāna
| - Tib: ཀུན་གཞི་རྣམ་པར་ཤེས་པ་
kun gzhi rnam par shes pa
阿賴耶識, 阿頼耶識 - Cn: ??
- Jp: araya-shiki
- Vi: a-lại-da thức
| | Amitabha The main buddha of the Pure Land school | - Sanskrit: amitābha (lit. "limitless light") and amitāyus (lit. "limitless life")
| 阿彌陀 or 阿彌陀佛, 阿弥陀 or 阿弥陀仏 - Ch: Āmítuó or Āmítuó fó
- Jp: Amida or Amida-butsu
- Vi: A-di-đà or Phật A-di-đà
| | anagarika A white-robed student in the Theravada tradition who, for a few months, awaits being considered for Samaneras ordination | | | | anapanasati Mindfulness of the breath meditation | | | | anatta Doctrine of the nonexistence of the soul | - Pāli: anattā
- Sanskrit: anātman
| 無我 - Cn: wúwǒ
- Jp: muga
- Vi: vô ngã
| | anicca Impermanence | - Pāli: anicca
- Sanskrit: anitya
| 無常 - Cn: wúcháng
- Jp: mujō
- Vi: vô thường
| | arhat, lit. "the Worthy One", A living person who has reached Enlightenment | - Pāli: arahat or arahant
- Sanskrit: arhat or arhant
| 阿羅漢 - Cn: āluóhàn
- Jp: arakan
- Vi: A-la-hán
|
B| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| bhavana Becoming, being, existing; the 10th link of Pratitya-Samutpada | | 有 | | bhikkhu, lit. "beggar", A Buddhist monk | - Pāli: bhikkhu
- Sanskrit: bhikṣu
| - Tib: དགེ་སློང་ dge slong
- Thai: ภิกษุ bhiksu
比丘 - Cn: bǐ qiū
- Jp: biku
- Vi: tỉ-khâu or tỉ-khưu
| | bhikkhuni A Buddhist nun | - from bhikkhu
- Pāli: bhikkhuni
- Sanskrit: bhikṣuni
| - Tib: དགེ་སློང་མ་ sde slong ma
- Thai: ภิกษุณี bhiksuni
比丘尼 - Cn: bǐ qiū ní"
- Jp: bikuni
- Vi: tỉ-khâu-ni
| | bija, lit. "seed", A metaphor for the origin or cause of things, used in the teachings of the Yogacara school | | 種子 - Cn: zhŏngzí
- Jp: shushi
- Vi: chủng tử
| | bodhi Awakening or Enlightenment | | 菩提 - Cn: pútí
- Jp: bodai
- Vi: bồ-đề
| | bodhi tree The Sacred Fig (Ficus religiosa) tree under which Gautama reached Enlightenment | | 菩提樹 - Cn: pútíshù
- Jp: bodaiju
- Vi: Bồ-đề thụ
| | bodhicitta The motivation of a bodhisattva | - Pāli, Sanskrit: bodhicitta
| - Tib: བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་སེམས་ byang chub kyi sems
菩提心 - Cn: pútíxīn
- Jp: bodaishin
- Vi: bồ-đề tâm
| | bodhisattva One with the intention to become a Buddha in order to liberate all other sentient beings from suffering | - Pāli: bodhisatta
- Sanskrit: bodhisattva
| 菩薩 - Cn: púsā
- Jp: bosatsu
- Vi: Bồ-tát
| | Buddha A Buddha; also, the Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama. | - from √budh: to awaken
- Pāli, Sanskrit: buddha
| 佛, 仏 - Cn: fó
- Jp: butsu or hotoke
- Vi: Phật or bụt
| | buddha nature The ability shared by sentient beings to achieve Enlightenment; the innate (latent) Buddha nature (esp. in Tendai/Tiantai, Nichiren thought) | - Sanskrit: buddhatā or buddha-svabhāva
| 佛性, 仏性 - Cn: fóxìng
- Jp: busshō
- Vi: Phật tính
|
D| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| Dalai Lama, lit. "the lama with wisdom like an ocean", The most important spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism | - Tibetan: ཏཱ་ལའི་བླ་མ་ taa-la'i bla-ma
| 達賴喇嘛 - Ch: ??
- Jp: ??
- Vi: Đạt Lai Lạt Ma or Đạt-lại Lạt-ma
| | dana generosity or giving; in Buddhism, it also refers to the practice of cultivating generosity | | 布施 - Cn: ??
- Jp: fuse
- Vi: bố thí
| | dependent origination, see Pratitya-Samutpada | - Pāli: paṭicca-samuppāda
- Sanskrit: pratītya-samutpāda
| 因縁, also 緣起, 縁起 - Cn: ??
- Jp: innen, also engi
- Vi: duyên khởi
| | dhamma/dharma Often refers to the doctrines and teachings of the faith, but it may have broader uses. Also, it is an important technical term meaning something like "phenomenological constituent." This leads to the potential for confusion, puns, and double entendres, as the latter meaning often has negative connotations | - from √dhṛ: to hold
- Pāli: dhamma
- Sanskrit: dharma
| 法 | | dhammavinaya The dharma and vinaya (roughly "doctrine and discipline") considered together. This term essentially means the whole teachings of Buddhism as taught to monks | | | | dhyana, see jhana | - Pāli: jhāna
- Sanskrit: dhyana
| 禪, 禅 - Ch: chán
- Jp: Zen
- Vi: thiền-na or thiền
| | doan In Zen, a term for person sounding the bell that marks the beginning and end of Zazen | | | | dokusan A private interview between a Zen student and his master. It is an important element in the Zen training, as it provides an opportunity for the student to discuss problems in his practice and to demonstrate his understanding | | 獨參 | | dukkha Suffering, dissatisfaction, stress | - Pāli: dukkha
- Sanskrit: duḥkha
| 苦 |
F| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
Five Five-Hundred-Year Periods Five sub-divisions of the three periods following the Buddha's passing (三時 Cn: ??; Jp: sanji; Vi: tam thời), significant for many Mahayana adherents:- Age of enlightenment (解脱堅固 Cn: ??; Jp: gedatsu kengo)
- Age of meditation (禅定堅固 Cn: ??; Jp: zenjō kengo)
These two ages comprise the Former Day of the Law (正法 Cn: ??; Jp: shōbō)
- Age of reading, reciting, and listening (読誦多聞堅固 Cn: ??; Jp: dokuju tamon kengo)
- Age of building temples and stupas (多造塔寺堅固 Cn: ??; Jp: tazō tōji kengo)
These two ages comprise the Middle Day of the Law (像法 Cn: ??; Jp: zōhō)
- Age of conflict (闘諍堅固 Cn: ??; Jp: tōjō kengo), an age characterized by unrest, strife, famine, and other, natural and human-made disasters.
This age corresponds to the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law (末法 Cn: mòfǎ; Jp: mappō) when the (historical) Buddha's teachings would loose all power of salvation and perish (白法隠没 Cn: ??; Jp: byakuhō onmotsu) and a new Buddha would appear to save the people.
- The three periods and the five five-hundred year periods are described in the Sutra of the Great Assembly (大集 Cn: ??; Jp: Daishutu-kyō, Daijuku-kyō, Daijikkyō, or Daishukkyō).
| | 五箇五百歳 - Cn: 五箇五百歳 wǔ ge wǔ bái suì
- Jp: 五箇の五百歳 go no gohyaku sai
| Four Noble Truths- Suffering: Dukkha (Sanskrit: duḥkhāryasatya; Thai: ทุกข์; 苦諦 Cn: ??; Jp: kutai; Vi: khổ đế)
- Attachment (desire): Samudaya (Sanskrit: samudayāryasatya; Thai:
สมุทัย; 集諦 Cn: ??; Jp: jittai; Vi: tập khổ đế) - Elimination of attachment (desire): Nirodha (Sanskrit: duḥkhanirodhāryasatya; Thai: นิโรธ; 滅諦 Cn: ??; Jp: mettai; Vi: diệt khổ đế)
- The path that leads out of suffering: Magga (Sanskrit: duḥkhanirodhagāminī pratipad; Thai: มรรค; 道諦 Cn: ??; Jp: dōtai; Vi: đạo đế)
| | - Pāli: cattāri ariya-saccāni
- Sanskrit: चत्वारि आर्यसत्यानि catvāry āryasatyāni
四諦 - Cn: ??
- Jp: shitai
- Vi: tứ diệu đế
| | fukudo In Zen, term for person who strikes the han | | |
G| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| gassho A position used for greeting, with the palms together and fingers pointing upwards in prayer position; used in the Zen tradition, but also common in many cultures in the East. It expresses greeting, request, thankfulness, reverence and prayer. Also a mudra or inkei of Japanese Shingon. See also: Namaste | | 合掌 - Cn: 合掌 hézhǎng
- Vi: hiệp chưởng
| | geshe An academic degree awarded at the conclusion of lengthy studies often lasting nine years or more | | | | gongan, lit. "public case", a meditative method developed in the Chan/Seon/Zen traditions, generally consisting of a problem that defies solution by means of rational thought; see koan | | 公案 - Ko: gong'an
- Jp: kōan
- Vi: công án
|
H| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| han In Zen monasteries, wooden board that is struck announcing sunrise, sunset and the end of the day | | | | Hinayana, lit. "inferior vehicle", A coinage by the Mahayana for the Buddhist doctrines concern with the achievement of Nirvana as a Sravaka-Buddha or a Pratyeka-Buddha, as opposed to a Samyaksam-Buddha | | 小乘 - Cn: Xiǎochěng
- Jp: Shōjō
- Vi: Tiểu thừa
|
I| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| ino, lit. "bringer of joy to the assembly", in Zen, one of the leaders of a sesshin; in Zen temples, the temple official in charge of maintaining the zendo, or meditation hall | | |
J| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| jhana Meditative contemplation; more often associated with śamatha practices than vipaśyana. See also: shamata, samadhi, samapatti | - from √dhyā: to think of, to contemplate, meditate on
- Pāli: jhāna
- Sanskrit: dhyāna
| 禪, 禅 - Ch: chán
- Jp: Zen
- Vi: thiền-na or thiền
| | jisha In Zen, a senior priest's attendant | | |
K| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| karma, lit. "action", The law of cause and effect in Buddhism | - from √kri: to do
- Pāli: kamma
- Sanskrit: karma
| 業 | | kensho In Zen, enlightenment; has the same meaning as satōri, but is customary used for an initial awakening experience | | 見性 - Cn: jiànxìng
- Vi: kiến tính
| | khyenpo, also khenpo, an academic degree similar to a doctorate in theology, philosophy, and psychology | | | | kinhin Zen walking meditation | - Japanese: 經行 kinhin or kyōgyō
| 經行 | | koan A story, question, problem or statement generally inaccessible to rational understanding, yet may be accessible to Intuition | | 公案 - Cn: gōng-àn
- Ko: gong'an
- Vi: công án
| | kyosaku In Zen, a flattened stick used to strike the shoulders during zazen, to help overcome fatigue or reach satori | - Japanese: 警策 kyōsaku, called keisaku in Rinzai
| |
L| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| lama A Tibetan teacher or master; equivalent to Sanskrit "guru" | | 喇嘛 | | lineage The official record of the historical descent of dharma teachings from one teacher to another; by extension, may refer to the sect of a set of practitioners | | |
M| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophical school, founded by Nagarjuna. Members of this school are called Madhyamikas | | 中觀宗 - Cn: ??
- Vi: Trung quán tông
| | mahasiddha An eccentric yogi in Tantric Buddhism, often associated with the highest levels of enlightenment | | 大成就 | | Mahayana, lit. "great vehicle", A major branch of Buddhism practiced in China, Tibet, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan | | 大乘 - Cn: Dàshèng
- Jp: Daijō
- Vi: Đại thừa
| | Maitreya The Buddha of the future epoch | - Pāli: Metteyya
- Sanskrit: Maitreya
| 彌勒 or 彌勒佛, 弥勒 or 弥勒仏 - Ch: Mi Le or Mi Le fó
- Jp: Miroku or Miroku-butsu
- Vi: Di-lặc or Phật Di-lặc
| | makyo In Zen, unpleasant or distracting thoughts or illusions that occur during zazen | | | | Mappo The "degenerate" Latter Day of the Law. A time period supposed to begin 2,000 years after Sakyamuni Buddha's passing and last for "10,000 years"; follows the two 1,000-year periods of Former Day of the Law (正法 Cn: ??; Jp: shōbō) and of Middle Day of the Law (像法 Cn: ??; Jp: zōhō). During this degenerate age, chaos will prevail and the people will be unable to attain enlightenment through the word of Sakyamuni Buddha. See the Three periods | | 末法 | | Middle way The practice of avoidance of extreme views and lifestyle choices | | - Pāli: majjhimāpaṭipadā
- Sanskrit: madhyamāpratipad
中道 - Ch: zhōngdào
- Jp: chūdō
- Vi: trung đạo
| | mindfulness The practice whereby a person is intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, non-judgmentally. The 7th step of the Noble Eightfold Path | | - Pāli: sammā-sati
- Sanskrit: samyag-smṛti
正念 | | moksha Liberation | | 解脱 | | mokugyo A wooden drum carved from one piece, usually in the form of a fish | | 木魚 | | mondo In Zen, a short dialogue between teacher and student | | |
N| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| namo An exclamation showing reverence; devotion. Often placed in front of the name of an object of veneration, e.g., a Buddha's name or a sutra (Nam(u) Myōhō Renge Kyō), to express devotion to it. Defined in Sino-Japanese as 帰命 kimyō: to base one's life upon, to devote (or submit) one's life to Derivatives: | - Pāli: namo
- Sanskrit: namaḥ or namas
Derivatives: | 南無 - Cn: nammu
- Jp: namu or nam
- Vi: nam-mô
Derivatives:
南無阿弥陀佛 - Cn: Nàmó Āmítuó fó
- Jp: Namu Amida butsu
- Vi: Nam-mô A-di-đà Phật
| | nibbana/nirvana Extinction or extinguishing; ultimate enlightenment in the Buddhist tradition | - Pāli: nibbāna
- Sanskrit: nirvana
| 涅槃 - Cn: nièpán
- Jp: nehan
- Vi: Niết-bàn
| | nikaya, lit. "volume", The Buddhist texts in Pāli | | 部經 | Noble Eightfold Path- Right View (Pāli: sammā-diṭṭhi; Sanskrit: samyag-dṛṣṭi; 正見 Cn: ??; Vi: chính kiến)
- Right Thought (Pāli: sammā-saṅkappa; Sanskrit: samyak-saṃkalpa; 正思唯 Cn: ??; Vi: chính tư duy)
These 2
constitute the path of Wisdom (Pāli: paññā; Sanskrit: prajñā)
- Right Speech (Pāli: sammā-vācā; Sanskrit: samyag-vāk; 正語 Cn: ??; Vi: chính ngữ)
- Right Action (Pāli: sammā-kammanta; Sanskrit: samyak-karmānta; 正業 Cn: ??; Vi: chính nghiệp)
- Right Living (Pāli: sammā-ājīva; Sanskrit: samyag-ājīva; 正命 Cn: ??; Vi: chính mệnh)
These 3 constitute the path of Virtue (Pāli: sīla; Sanskrit: śīla)
- Right Effort (Pāli: sammā-vāyāma; Sanskrit: samyag-vyāyāma; 正精進 Cn: ??; Vi: chính tinh tiến)
- Right Mindfulness (Pāli: sammā-sati; Sanskrit: samyag-smṛti; 正念 Cn: ??; Vi: chính niệm)
- Right Concentration (Pāli: sammā-samādhi; Sanskrit: samyak-samādhi; 正定 Cn: ??; Vi: chính định)
The last 3 constitute the path of Concentration (Pāli, Sanskrit: samādhi)
| | - Pāli: aṭṭhāṅgika-magga
- Sanskrit: aṣṭāṅgika-mārga
八正道 - Cn: bāzhèngdào
- Jp: hasshōdō
- Vi: bát chính đạo
|
O| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| oryoki A set of bowls used in a Zen eating ceremony | | | | osho A term used to address a monk of the Zen Buddhist tradition. Originally reserved for high ranking monks, it has since been appropriated for everyday use when addressing any male member of the Zen clergy | | |
P| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
panca skandha The five constituent elements into which an individual is analyzed. They are:- "form": Pāli, Sanskrit: rūpa; 色 Cn: ??; Jp: shiki
- "sensation": Pāli, Sanskrit: vedanā; 受 Cn: ??; Jp: ju
- "cognition": Pāli: saññā; Sanskrit: saṃjñā; 想 Cn: ??; Jp: sō
- "mental formations": Pāli: saṅkhāra; Sanskrit: saṃskāra; 行 Cn: ??; Jp: gyō
- "consciousness": Pāli: viññāṇa; Sanskrit: vijñāna; 識 Cn: ??; Jp: shiki
| - Sanskrit: pañca skandha
- Pāli: pañca khandha
| 五蘊, 五陰, 五薀 - Cn: wǔyùn
- Jp: go-on sometimes go-un
- Vi: ngũ uẩn
| | paramartha Absolute, as opposed to merely conventional, truth or reality; see also samvrti | | | | paramita, lit. "reaching the other shore," usually rendered in English as "perfection." The Mahayana practices for obtaining enlightenment | - Pāli: parami
- Sanskrit: pāramitā
| 波羅蜜 - Cn: bōluómì
- Jp: haramitsu
| | parinibbana/parinirvana The final nibbana/nirvana | | 般涅槃 - Cn: bō niè pán
- Jp: hatsunehan
- Vi: bát-niết-bàn
| | prajna/panna "wisdom" | - Pāli: paññā
- Sanskrit: prajñā
| 般若 - Cn: banruo
- Jp: hannya
- Vi: bát-nhã
| | pratitya-samutpada "Dependent origination," the view that no phenomenon exists (or comes about) without depending on other phenomena or conditions around it. In English also called "conditioned genesis," "dependent co-arising," "interdependent arising," etc. A famous application of dependent origination is the Twelve Nidana, or 12 inter-dependences (Sanskrit: dvādaśāṅgapratītyasamutpāda; 十二因縁 Cn: ??; Jp: jūni innen; Vi: thập nhị nhân duyên), which are: - Ignorance (Pāli: avijjā; Sanskrit: avidyā; 無明 Cn: ??; Jp: mumyō; Vi: vô minh)
- Ignorance creates Mental Formation (Pāli: saṅkhāra; Sanskrit: saṃskāra; 行 Cn: ??; Jp: gyō; Vi: hành)
- Mental Formation creates Consciousness (Pāli: viññāṇa; Sanskrit: vijñāna; 識 Cn: ??; Jp: shiki; Vi: thức)
- Consciousness creates Name & Form (Pāli, Sanskrit: nāmarūpa; 名色 Cn: ??; Jp: myōshiki; Vi: danh sắc)
- Name & Form create Sense Gates (Pāli: saḷāyatana; Sanskrit: ṣaḍāyatana; 六入 or 六処 Cn: ??; Jp: rokunyū or rokusho; Vi: lục căn)
- Sense Gates create Contact (Pāli: phassa; Sanskrit: sparśa; 觸 or 触 Cn: ??; Jp: soku; Vi: xúc)
- Contact creates Feeling (Pāli, Sanskrit: vedanā; 受 Cn: ??; Jp: ju; Vi: thụ)
- Feeling creates Craving (Pāli: taṇhā; Sanskrit: tṛṣṇā; 愛 Cn: ??; Jp: ai; Vi: ái)
- Craving creates Clinging (Pāli, Sanskrit: upādāna; 取 Cn: ??; Jp: shu; Vi: thủ)
- Clinging creates Becoming (Pāli, Sanskrit: bhava; 有 Cn: ??; Jp: u; Vi: hữu)
- Becoming creates Birth (Pāli, Sanskrit: jāti; 生 Cn: ??; Jp: shō; Vi: sinh)
- Birth leads to Aging & Death (Pāli, Sanskrit: jarāmaraṇa; 老死 Cn: ??; Jp: rōshi; Vi: lão tử)
| - Pāli: paṭicca-samuppāda
- Sanskrit: pratitya-samutpāda
| 縁起 (thought to be an abbreviation for 因縁生起) - Cn: ??
- Jp: engi
- Vi: duyên khởi
- Also called 因縁
- Cn: ??
- Jp: innen
- Vi: nhân duyên
| | purisa The practicing Buddhist community as a whole; sangha and laity | | |
R| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| rebirth The process of continuity of life after death | | | | rinpoche, lit. "precious one", a recognized rebirth of a Tibetan Buddhist teacher (also called tulku) or Tibetan teacher | | 仁波切 | | Rinzai Zen sect emphasizing sudden enlightenment and koan study; named for master Linji | | 臨済宗 - Cn: Línjì-zōng
- Vi: Lâm Tế tông
| | Rohatsu A day traditionally honored as the day of the Buddha's enlightenment. While deep in meditation under a bodhi tree, he attained enlightenment upon seeing the morning star just at dawn; celebrated on the 8th day either of December or of the 12th month of the lunar calendar. | | | | roshi, lit. "teacher", an honorific given to Japanese Buddhist teachers | | 老師 - Cn: lǎo shī (lit., old master)
- Vi: lão sư
|
S| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| samanera/shramanera A male novice monk, who, after a year or until the ripe age of 20, will be considered for the higher Bhikkhu ordination | | | | samatha Mental stabilization; tranquility meditation. Distinguished from vipassana meditation | - Pāli: samatha
- Sanskrit: śamatha
| | | samsara The cycle of birth and rebirth; the world as commonly experienced | | 輪迴, 輪廻 - Cn: ??
- Jp: rinne
- Vi: luân hồi
| | samu Work, conceived as a part of Zen training. | | | | samvrti Conventional, as opposed to absolute, truth or reality; see also paramartha | | | | sangha The community of Buddhist monks and nuns | | 僧, 僧侶 - Cn: ??
- Jp: sō, sōryō
- Vi: tăng già
| | satori Awakening; understanding. A Japanese term for enlightenment | | 悟 | | sayadaw Burmese meditation master | | | | sensei Teacher; Zen teacher | | | | sesshin A Zen retreat where practitioners meditate, eat and work together for several days | | 接心 | | shikantaza Soto Zen. "Only concentrated on doing sitting" is the main meditation-method of Soto school of Japanese Zen Buddhism | | | | shunyata Emptiness; see also Nagarjuna | - Pāli: suññatā
- Sanskrit: śūnyatā
| 空 - Cn: ??
- Jp: kū
- Vi: tính Không
| | sila "morals", "ethics": precepts | - Pāli: sīla
- Sanskrit: śīla
| 戒 | | Soto Sect of Zen emphasizing shikantaza as the primary mode of practice; see also Dogen | | 曹洞宗 - Cn: Caodong-zong
- Vi: Tào Ðộng tông
| | store consciousness The base consciousness (alayavijnana) taught in Yogacara Buddhism | - Pāli, Sanskrit: ālayavijñāna
| 阿頼耶識 - Cn: ??
- Jp: arayashiki
- Vi: a-lại-da thức
| | sutra Scripture; originally referred to short aphoristic sayings and collections thereof | - from √siv: to sew
- Pāli: sutta
- Sanskrit: sutra
| 經, 経 | | Sutra Pitaka The second basket of the Tripitaka canon, the collection of all Buddha's teachings | - Pāli: Sutta-piṭaka
- Sanskrit: Sūtra-piṭaka
| 經藏, 経蔵 - Cn: ??
- Jp: kyōzō
- Vi: Kinh tạng
|
T| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| tanha Craving or desire | - Pāli: taṇhā
- Sanskrit: tṛṣṇā
| 愛 | | tanto In Zen, one of the main leaders of a sesshin. In a Zen temple, the Tanto is the officer in charge of practice standards, i.e. teaching monks and lay practitioners how to sit, walk, bow, and chant in formal situations | | | | tantra Esoteric religious practices, including yoga, mantra.. | | 怛特羅 - Cn: dàn té luǒ
- Vi: đát-đặc-la
| | Tathagata The "Thus-Come One" or "Thus-Gone One"; One of the Buddha's ten epithets | | 如来 - Cn: rú lái
- Jp: nyorai
- Vi: như lai
| | tathagatagarbha Buddha-nature or the seed of enlightenment | - Sanskrit: tathāgatagarbha
| 仏性 - Cn: ??
- Jp: busshō
- Also 覚性
- Cn: ??
- Jp: kakushō
- Vi: giác tính
- Also 如来蔵
- Cn: ??
- Jp: nyuoraizō
- Vi: như lai tạng
| | teisho A presentation by a Zen master during a sesshin. Rather than an explanation or exposition in the traditional sense, it is intended as a demonstration of Zen realisation | | | | tenzo In Zen, the head cook for a sesshin. In Zen temples, the officer in charge of the kitchen | | 典座 | | Theravada, lit. "words of the elders", The most orthodox branch of Buddhism | - Pāli: theravāda
- Sanskrit: sthaviravāda
| 上座部 - Cn: shàngzuòbù
- Jp: jōzabu
- Vi: Thượng toạ bộ
| Three periods- Three divisions of the time following the historical Buddha's passing: the Former (or Early) Day of the Law (正法 Cn: ??; Jp: shōbō), the first thousand years; the Middle Day of the Law (像法 Cn: ??; Jp: zōhō), the second thousand years; and the Latter Day of the Law (末法 Cn: mòfǎ; Jp: mappō), which is to last for 10,000 years.
- The three periods are significant to Mahayana adherents, particularly those who hold the Lotus Sutra in high regard; e.g., Tiantai (Tendai) and Nichiren Buddhists, who believe that different Buddhist teachings are valid (i.e., able to lead practitioners to enlightenment) in each period due to the different capacity to accept a teaching (機根 Cn: ??; Jp: kikon) of the people born in each respective period.
- The three periods are further divided into five five-hundred year periods (五五百歳 Cn: ??; Jp: go no gohyaku sai), the fifth and last of which was prophecized to be a when the Buddhism of Sakyamuni would loose all power of salvation and a new Buddha would appear to save the people. This time period would be characterized by unrest, strife, famine, and other, natural disasters.
- The three periods and the five five-hundred year periods are described in the Sutra of the Great Assembly (大集経 Cn: ??; Jp: Daishutu-kyō, Daijuku-kyō, Daijikkyō, or Daishukkyō). Descriptions of the three periods also appear in other sutras, some of which ascribe different lengths of time to them (although all agree that Mappō will last for 10,000 years).
| | 三時 - Cn: ??
- Jp: sanji
- Vi: tam thời
| Three poisons The three primary causes of unskillful action or creation of "negative" karma:- Greed or selfish desire (Pāli: taṇhā; Sanskrit: tṛṣṇā; 貪 Cn: ??; Jp: ton; Vi: ái)
- Hatred or anger (Sanskrit: dveṣa; 瞋 Cn: ??; Jp: jin; Vi: sân)
- Ignorance or delusion (Pāli: avijjā; Sanskrit: avidyā; Tib.: མ་རིག་པ་ ma rig-pa; 癡 Cn: ??; Jp: chi; Vi: vô minh)
| | 三毒 - Cn: ??
- Jp: sandoku
- Vi: tam độc
| trailõkya The 3 "regions" of the world:- Kamaloka or Kamadhatu: world of desires (Sanskrit, Pāli: kāmaloka, kāmadhātu; Tibetan: འདོད་ཁམས་ `dod khams; 欲 界 Cn: ??, Vi: dục giới)
- Rupaloka or Rupadhatu: world of form (Sanskrit: rūpaloka, rūpadhātu; Tibetan: གཟུགས་ཁམས་ gzugs khams; 色界 Cn: ??; Vi: sắc giới)
- Arupaloka or Arupadhatu: world without form or desire (Sanskrit: arūpaloka, arūpadhātu; Tibetan: གཟུགས་མེད་ཁམས་ gzugs med khams; 無色界 Cn: ??, Vi: vô sắc giới)
| | - Pāli: tisso dhātuyo
- Tibetan: ཁམས་གསུམ་ khams gsum
三界 | trikaya The 3 "bodies" of Buddha:- Dharma-kaya (Sanskrit: dharmakāya; 法身 Cn: ??; Jp: hosshin; Vi: pháp thân)
- Sambhoga-kaya (Sanskrit: saṃbhogakāya; 報身 Cn: ??; Jp: hōshin; Vi: báo thân)
- Nirmana-kaya (Sanskrit: nirmāṇakāya; 應身, 応身 Cn: ??; Jp: ōjin; Vi: ứng thân)
| | 三身 - Cn: sānshén
- Jp: sanjin
- Vi: tam thân
| Tripitaka The "Three Baskets"; canon containing the sacred texts for Buddhism (Pāli)- Vinaya Pitaka (Pāli, Sanskrit: Vinaya-piṭaka; Tib: འདུལ་བའི་སྡེ་སྣོད་ `dul ba`i sde snod; 律藏, 律蔵 Cn: ??; Jp: Ritsuzō; Vi: Luật tạng)
- Sutra Pitaka (Pāli: Sutta-piṭaka; Sanskrit: Sūtra-piṭaka; Tib: མདོ་སྡེའི་སྡེ་སྣོད་ mdo sde`i sde snod; 經藏, 経蔵 Cn: ??; Jp: Kyōzō; Vi: Kinh tạng)
- Abhidhamma Pitaka (Pāli: Abhidhamma-piṭaka; Sanskrit: Abhidharma-piṭaka; Tib: མངོན་པའི་སྡེ་སྣོད་ mngon pa`i sde snod; 論藏, 論蔵 Cn: ??; Jp: Ronzō; Vi: Luận tạng)
| - Pāli: Tipiṭaka
- Sanskrit: Tripiṭaka
| 三蔵 - Cn: Sānzàng
- Jp: Sanzō
- Ko: Samjang
- Vi: Tam tạng
| | trsna, see tanha above | | | | tulku A re-incarnated Tibetan teacher | | 化身 (Note: 化身 usually refers to any reincarnation.) - Cn: huàshēn
- Jp: keshin
- Vi: hoá thân
|
U| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| upadana Clinging; the 9th link of Pratitya-Samutpada; also one of the Twelve Nidanas | | 取 | | upasaka A lay follower of Buddhism | | 近事男 | | upasika A female lay follower | - from upasaka above
- Sanskrit: upāsika
| 近事女 | | upaya Expedient though not necessarily ultimately true. Originally used as a polemical device against other schools - calling them "merely" expedient, lacking in ultimate truth, later used against ones own school to prevent students form forming attachments to doctrines In Mahayana, exemplified by the Lotus Sutra, upaya are the useful means that Buddhas (and Buddhist teachers) use to free beings into enlightenment | | 方便 - Cn: ??
- Jp: hōben
- Vi: phương tiện
| | urna a concave circular dot on the forehead between the eyebrows | | |
V| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| Vajrayana, lit. "diamond vehicle", The third major branch, alongside Hinayana and Mahayana | | 金剛乘 - Cn: ??
- Vi: Kim cương thừa
| | Vinaya Pitaka, lit. "discipline basket", The first basket of the Tripitaka canon, which deals with the rules of monastic life | - Pāli, Sanskrit: vinaya-piṭaka
| 律藏 - Cn: ??
- Jp: Ritsuzō
- Vi: Luật tạng
| | vipassana Usually translated as "Insight" meditation, most associated with the Theravada tradition, but present throughout Buddhism as an evolved tradition. Distinguished from samatha meditation | - from vi-√dṛś: to see apart
- Pāli: vipassanā
- Sanskrit: vipaśyanā, vidarśanā
| 觀,観 |
Z| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
|---|
| zazen Sitting meditation as practiced in the Zen School of Buddhism | | 坐禪 - Cn: zuòchán
- Vi: toạ thiền
| | Zen School A Japanese branch of Mahayana that emphasizes zazen in the pursuing of enlightenment | | 禪宗 - Ch: Chán-zōn
- Vi: Thiền tông
| | zendo In Zen, a hall where Zen (usually meaning zazen) is practiced (see Dojo) | | 禅堂 |
See also Boeddhistische termen (pali en sanskriet) 仏教用語一覧
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