Key Terms-Buddhism

Someone who practices strict denial as a measure of personal, and especially spiritual, discipline; they believe that spiritual awareness and growth can be obtained through extreme self-denial and giving up worldly pleasures – they often practice poverty, starvation, and punishing the body

• ascetic
• indulgent
• obligate

• opulent
• transcendent

Person who has attained enlightenment, or is about to attain enlightenment, but puts off their own final enlightenment in order to remain on earth or re-enter the cycle of reincarnation to benefit all people and help guide others to find their own path to enlightenment

• Bodhisattva
• Yogi
• Guru
• Shaman
• Dukkha

From the Sanskrit budho, which means “to be awake,” meaning awakened one or enlightened one; usually refers to Siddhartha Gautama unless otherwise stated, but can refer to anyone who has attained enlightenment

• Sutta

• Dukkha

• Pali

• Buddha
• Lama

True nature, original nature before one becomes a conditioned and constructed human being; the awakened nature that resides within a person; their potential to become a buddha

• Buddha-nature

• Sangha-nature

• Zen nature
• Yoga nature
• Dukkha-nature

Literally “truth;” in Buddhism, the teachings and laws for conduct given by the Buddha which are seen as natural law or universal truth

• Dharma (Dhamma)

• Samsara
• Karma
• Metta

  (Maitri)

• Sutta

  (Sutra)

Dissatisfaction, discomfort, suffering, frustration, disharmony, disease, or anguish caused by attachment to or desire for impermanent things

• Nirvana

• Dukkha
• Sutra

• Karma

• Sutta

Series of components that Buddhists believe leads to enlightenment and Nirvana

• Koan Route

• Eightfold Path

• Metta Way

• Dharma Journey

• Sangha Vehicle

In Buddhism, a state of spiritual awakening, knowledge, wisdom, and an awakened intellect

• Enlightenment
• Transgression

• Contemplation

• Erudition

• Attainment

Verbal puzzle or question given to a Zen student by the Zen master that transcends logic and is designed to be contemplated and to bypass the rational mind and thus liberate direct awareness

• Koan

• Mantra

• Sutra

• Metta

• Sutta

Literally means “highest principle;” honorific title for a spiritual leader or teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism

• Maharishi

• Lama
• Rebbe

• Sensei
• Swami