Buddhist Vocabulary

• Anagami - Non-returner; the third stage of enlightenment.
• Anapanasati - Cultivating awareness and presence through the continuous observation of the breath as it moves in and out of the body,for more in depth understanding see M.N (majhimma nikaya) 118
• Anicca - The constant and ever-changing nature of all phenomena
• Arahant - someone who has gone beyond their defilements.
• Arhat - Worthy one; an enlightened being who has attained nirvana.
• Arya - Noble; one who has attained some level of enlightenment.
• Bhavana - Mental development; cultivation of the mind through meditation.
• Bhikkhuni - Nun; a fully ordained female Buddhist monastic.
• Bhikku/Bhante - A male monk.
• Bodhisattva - Enlightenment being; one who seeks enlightenment for the sake of all beings.
• Citta - Mind; the heart-mind, center of consciousness.
• Dhamma - Most often used to refer to the teaching of the buddha. It can also mean ‘thing’ among other definitions.
• Dhamma - The teachings of the Buddha; the natural law of the universe.
• Dharma - the same as Dhamma but used more often, a sanskrit word.
• Dukkha - Mental attitude of dissatisfaction.
• Hinayana - Lesser vehicle; a term used to describe early Buddhist schools.
• Jhana - Meditative states, 1-4 form jhanas and 4 formless jhanas in the 4th jhana can occur.
• Kamma - is essentially the law of cause and effect, emphasizing the consequences of one's actions.
• Karuna - Compassion; empathy and concern for the suffering of others.
• Mahayana - Great vehicle; a major branch of Buddhism emphasizing the bodhisattva path.
• Mandala - Sacred diagram; used in meditation and rituals.
• Mantra - Sacred syllable or phrase; used in meditation and rituals.
• Mara - The tempter; a deity who represents the forces antagonistic to enlightenment.
• Marga - Path; the Noble Eightfold Path leading to enlightenment.
• Metta - Loving-kindness; unconditional love and goodwill towards all beings.
• Metta - Mental attitude of friendliness. Metta is a result of correct practice of anapanasati and not a practice the Buddha taught on its own.
• Mudita - Sympathetic joy; rejoicing in the happiness and success of others.
• Mudra - Hand gesture; symbolic gestures used in Buddhist practice.
• Nibbana - Literally means ‘to cool down’. In the time of the Buddha nibbana was an ordinary word to describe cooling down like we use it in modern english. For example; The soup is nibbana enough to eat. The food has cooled down enough to eat. In the context of the teaching of the Buddha it refers to cooling down of the mental defilements through practicing anapanasati.
• Nirodha - To stop, to cease, ending of.
• Nivarana - Hindrances; mental factors that impede progress in meditation.
• Panna - Wisdom; understanding the true nature of reality.
• Paramita - Perfections; virtues cultivated by bodhisattvas on their path to enlightenment.
• Parinibbana - Final nirvana; the complete extinction of all defilements and the end of the cycle of rebirth, attained by an enlightened being at death.
• Paticcasamuppada - Dependent origination; the chain of cause and effect that describes the process of birth, life, and death.
• Pañña - Wisdom or insight.
• Piti - the feeling of success. When we repeatedly make changes to the wholesome we start to see that ‘I can really do this!’. This causes confidence to arise along with pleasant physical and mental feelings.
• Prajna - Insight; deep understanding of the nature of reality.
• Puja - Worship; rituals and offerings made to the Buddha or deities. Pujas are usually done in the morning and evening in temples, some chants and meditation.
• Saddha - Faith; confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.
• Sakadagami - Once-returner; the second stage of enlightenment.
• Samadhi - Unification of mind. When the mind feels happy, successful and is free from hindrances it stops wanting anything.
• Samatha - Tranquillity meditation; meditation aimed at calming the mind.
• Samma Sankappa (Right resolve) involves the commitment to renunciation, compassion, and non - harming.
• Samsara - The cycle of birth and death; the continual cycle of existence in various forms.
• Samskara - Mental formations; volitional formations or predispositions.
• Sangha - The Buddhist community of monks, nuns, novices and lay people.
• Sankhara - Formations; mental formations or conditioned phenomena.
• Sati - Mindfulness; awareness and attention to the present moment.
• Sati - The ability to maintain awareness and recollection in the present moment.
• Sila - Moral conduct. How we behave ourselves impacts our mental wellbeing. The Buddha set out a number of guidelines in the Patimokkha and Vinaya.
• Srotapanna - Stream-enterer; the first stage of enlightenment.
• Sukkha - The opposite of dukkha. Sukkha is satisfaction which means that whenever we’re in sukkha we do not have dukkha.
• Sunyata - Emptiness; the concept that all phenomena are devoid of intrinsic existence.
• Tanha - Craving; desire and attachment that lead to suffering.
• Tathagata - Thus-gone one; an epithet for the Buddha.
• Upadana - Clinging; attachment to ideas, objects, or desires.
• Upaya - Skillful means; the use of various methods to teach the Dhamma.
• Upekkha - Equanimity; balanced state of mind, unaffected by highs and lows.
• Vajrayana - Diamond vehicle; a form of Buddhism emphasizing esoteric practices.
• Vedana - Sensation; feelings that arise from sensory contact.
• Vinaya - Discipline; the regulatory framework for the monastic community.
• Vipassana - to the cultivation of direct insight into the true nature of reality.
• Viriya - Effort; persistent effort in the practice of the Dhamma.