Glossary

asuras: Beings who like to fight.
Bodhi tree: A pipal tree that is known as the 'tree of enlightenment'. The tree under which Gautama achieved enlightenment and became a Buddha.

Bodhisattva: A compassionate being who enlightens himself and helps others to be enlightened.

Buddha: The Enlightened or Awakened One. The word 'Bodhi' means to awaken.

Buddha Hall: The main room inside a Buddhist temple.

Buddha nature:

Dharma: Teachings of the Buddha

enlightenment: Understanding the truth of life, freedom from ignorance.

Five Precepts: The five rules of conduct given by the Buddha to his disciples: no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no false speech, no intoxicants.

Four Noble Truths: The first teachings spoken by the Buddha: the truth of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the Path leading to the end of suffering.

hungry ghosts: Ghosts that suffer a lot because they are greedy.

Jataka tales: stories about the past lives of the Buddha.

karma: 'Action' or the law of cause and effect. For every action there is a cause.

Kathina: A 'festival of giving' held in autumn, where people make offerings to the monks and nuns.

lamas: Tibetan religious leaders.

lotus posture: A meditation posture.

lotus: The lotus symbolizes the purity of the Buddha. It grows out of mud, yet it is not defiled by it.

Mahayana: The tradition of Northern Buddhism.

mantras: Symbolic phrases that Buddhists chant.

meditation: A method of calming and training the mind.

Middle Way: The path in life prescribed by the Buddha, the path between extremes.

Nirvana: An everlasting state of great joy and peace.

Noble Eightfold Path: The Buddha's prescription for ending suffering. It is made up of eight parts: right views, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

offering bowl: A bowl that nuns and monks receive offerings in.

Pali: An ancient language of India that the Buddhist Sutras were originally written in.

Pratyekabuddha: Hermits who become enlightened by themselves.

puja: A Pali word for Buddhist worship.

Sangha: The community of Buddhist nuns and monks.

Sanskrit: An ancient language of India that the Buddhist Sutras were written in.

Six Perfections: The six ideals that a Bodhisattva perfects: giving morality, patience, effort, concentration, and wisdom.

stupas: Monuments to the Buddha

Sutras: The Buddha's teachings in writing.

thankas: Wall hangings found in Tibetan temples.

Theravada: The tradition of Southern Buddhism.

Three Refuges: The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

Tripitaka: The 'three baskets', a collection of the Buddha's written teachings.

Triple Jewel: The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

Ullambana: A Buddhist festival when offerings are given to the Sangha..

Wheel of Life and Death: The six worldly states of rebirth: gods, asuras, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-beings.

zafu: A round meditation cushion used in Japanese Buddhism.

Zen: Japanese meditation.