Glossary of Buddhism
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Some 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 along with the definition.
Languages and traditions dealt with here:
- English (Eng.)
- Pāli: Theravada Buddhism
- Sanskrit (or Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit): primarily Mahayana Buddhism
- Bengali (Bgd): Buddhism in Bangladesh
- Sinhala (Sri): Buddhism in Sri Lanka
- Burmese (Bur): Buddhism in Myanmar
- Karen (Kar): Theravada Buddhism
- Khmer: Buddhism in Cambodia
- Mon (Mon): Theravada Buddhism
- Mongolian (Mn): Buddhism in Mongolia
- Shan (Shan): Theravada Buddhism
- Tibetan (Tib): Tibetan Buddhism
- Dzongkha ༼རྫོང་ཁ༽ (Dzo): Buddhism in Bhutan
- Thai: Buddhism in Thailand
- Lao: Buddhism in Laos
- CJKV languages
- Chinese (Cn): Chinese Buddhism
- Cantonese (Hk): Buddhism in Hong Kong
- Japanese (Jp): Buddhism in Japan
- Korean (Ko): Korean Buddhism
- Taiwanese Hokkien (Tw): Buddhism in Taiwan
- Vietnamese (Vi): Buddhism in Vietnam (Mahayana and Theravada)
- Javanese (Jv): Buddhism in Indonesia
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| Definition | Etymology | In other languages |
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| abhidhamma A category of scriptures that attempts to use Buddhist teachings to create a systematic, abstract description of all worldly phenomena |
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| Avataṃsakasūtra "Garland Scripture" |
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| Abhidhamma Pitaka The third basket of the Tripitaka canon, the reorganization of all doctrines in a systematic way |
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| Abhiniṣkramaṇasūtra |
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| acariya, lit. "teacher", One of the two teachers of a novice monk - the other one is called upādhyāya |
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| Adbhutadharmaparyāyasūtra |
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| Adhigamadharma Realized Dharma |
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| adhitthana Determination, to pray, to wish |
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| Āgama The non-Mahayana divisions of the Sutra Pitaka |
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| Āgamadharma scriptural Dharma |
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| ahimsa The devotion to non-violence and respect for all forms of life. Practicers of ahimsa are often vegetarians or vegans |
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| Akshobhya |
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Ködelüsi ügei, Ülü hödelügci |
| akuśalakarmapatha unwholesome courses of action |
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| alayavijnana, see store consciousness |
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| Amitabha Lit. "The Buddha of Infinite Light". The main buddha of the Pure Land school, but is popular in other Mahayana sects as well. The image is of light as the form of wisdom, which has no form. Also interpreted as the Tathagata of Unhindered Light that Penetrates the Ten Quarters by Tan Luan, Shinran and others |
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| Amitābhasūtra |
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| Amoghasiddhi |
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| anagarika A white-robed student in the Theravada tradition who, for a few months, awaits being considered for Samaneras ordination |
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| anapanasati Mindfulness of the breath meditation |
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| anatta The principle denial of the soul in any phenomena. See also negative theology. |
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| anicca Impermanence |
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| anitya Impermanence, synonym to anicca | ||
| anuttara Unsurpassing |
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| anuttara samyak sambodhi, unsurpassable, complete, perfect enlightenment; unsurpassable, right, and full enlightenment |
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| arhat, lit. "the Worthy One", A living person who has reached Enlightenment |
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| ārūpyarāga |
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| asura "nongods," |
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| atman literally "self", sometimes "soul" or "ego". In Buddhism, the predominant teaching is the negating doctrine of anatman, that there is no permanent, persisting atman, and that belief in atman is the prime consequence of ignorance, the foundation of samsara |
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| Avalokitesvara, lit. "One Who Hears the Suffering Cries of the World", The bodhisattva of compassion (see also Guan Yin) |
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| avidya "ignorance" or "delusion" |
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