GLOSSARY
Ananda: One of the Shakyamuni Buddha's Ten Great Disciples, and the Buddha's cousin. He
was first in hearing the Buddha's words. As he had excellent memory, he memorized the
Buddha's sermons, which were later recorded as sutras.
Anjali mudra: (Pali) to join the palms in a reverential gesture of respect.
Arhat: (Sanskrit) The perfected disciple; one who has completed the discipline required to attain
liberation.
Ashoka: A Buddhist monarch of 300 B.C., the third Emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty, who
unified most of India under his rule and fostered the dissemination of Buddhism. It is said that
the Third Council was held during his reign. Ashoka set the model for many other rulers who
sought to govern in accordance with Buddhist philosophy.
Avalokiteshvara: One of the principal Bodhisattvas in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition;
personifies boundless compassion. Bodhi: (Sanskrit and Pali) Enlightenment; the spiritual
condition of a Buddha or Bodhisattva.
Bodhisattva: One moved by compassionate zeal to aid fellow beings, hence willing to postpone
his or her own entrance into Nirvana to this end.
Bodhi tree: Sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa), under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Brahma: One of the three major deities of Hinduism, along with Visnu (Vishnu) and Siva
(Shiva). Adopted as one of the protective deities of Buddhism.
Brahman: The highest of the Four Castes in ancient India at the time of Shakyamuni. They
served Brahma, with offerings; the keepers of the Vedas, i.e. priestly caste.
Buddha: The Illumined One. The main title of the founder of Buddhism after his Enlightenment.
Chakra: Dharma wheel
Contemplation: Abstract contemplation. There are four levels through which the mind frees
itself from all subjects and objective hindrances and reaches a state of absolute indifference and
annihilation of thought, perception, and will. Deva: Literally, "shining one”. An inhabitant of the
heavenly realms.
Dhamma (Pali) Sanskrit form: Dharma: The Universal Truth; The Teachings and the inner
practice of the Teachings of Buddha; Essential quality and factual reality.
Dhyana: Meditation, concentration.
Enlightenment: Complete elimination of all negative aspects of the mind and perfection of all
positive qualities.
Gotama: Gotama in Pali, Gautama in Sanskrit. The surname of the Shakya clan into which
Shakyamuni was born. Another name for Shakyamuni.
Jainism: A religion founded by Nataputta, who was a royal clan of the Nata tribe in ancient
India at the time of Shakyamuni. Its basic doctrine is non-materialistic atheism.
Jataka Tales: Stories or legends about Buddha's birth or previous forms of existence. Kanthaka:
The young Buddha's favourite horse.
Kapilavatsu: The capital of the Sakya kingdom. The king of Kapilavatsu was Suddhodana, who
was the father of Shakyamuni. The present-day Kapilavatsu is in Nepal.
Kasyapa: Skr. (Kassapa Pali) Main disciple of the Buddha.
Ksatriya: Ksatriya in Sanskrit, Khattiya in Pali. The second of the four Indian Castes at the time
of Shakyamuni, they were the royal caste, the noble landlord, the warriors and the ruling castes.
Kusinara: Kusinara in Pali, Kusinagara in Sanskrit. The village where Shakyamuni Buddha
died.
Lumbini Park: The birthplace of Shakyamuni Buddha, which lay between the state of the
Shakyas and the Koliyas. Magadha: One of the four great kingdoms (i.e. Magadha, Kosala,
Varnasi, and Avanti) in ancient India. The capital of Magadha was Rajagarha. The King of
Magadha, Bimbisara, became the follower of Shakyamuni.
Mahakashyapa: (Skt) Mahakassapa (Pali) The Dharma heir and most prominent disciple of
Shakyamuni Buddha. The First Patriarch in the Zen Buddhist tradition, he was responsible for
convening the first Buddhist council after the death of the Buddha.
Mahamaya: The mother of Shakyamuni. She was the Koliyan Princess and married to
Suddhodana. She died seven days after giving birth to Shakyamuni.
Mahaparinirvana: Beyond Nirvana, the state into which one that has attained Nirvana passes at
death.
Maitreya: (Skt), literally means friendly and benevolent. He will be the next Buddha in our
world. He is now preaching in Tusita Heaven. He is usually represented as the fat laughing
Buddha. Mara: The personification of evil and temptation.
Meditation: The process of becoming deeply acquainted with one's own mind. Mudra:
(Sanskrit) Hand gesture, essential element in Buddhist iconography.
Miracles of Gautama Buddha: Gautama Buddha was alleged to possess superhuman powers &
abilities. He attained his abilities through deep meditation during the time when had renounced
the world and lived as an ascetic.
Rahula: He was one of the Ten Great Disciples of Shakyamuni. He was the first in esoteric
practices and in desire for instruction in the Law. He was also the son of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Rajagarha: Rajagaha in Pali, Rajagrha in Sanskrit. The capital of the ancient kingdom of
Magadha in India, which was the centers of culture at the time of Shakyamuni. The first
monastery called the Bamboo
Grove Park was built by the elder Kalanda and King Bimbisara of Magadha in Rajagarha.
Renunciation: The attitude of complete detachment from the experiences of samsara, seeing that
there is no true pleasure or satisfaction to be found within it.
Sakya: The tribe or clan into which the Buddha was born.
Sangha: (Pali) On the conventional (sammati) level, this term denotes the communities of
Buddhist monks and nuns; on the ideal (ariya) level, it denotes those followers of the Buddha,
lay or ordained, who have attained at least stream-entry. Shakyamuni: (Skt.) The founder of
Buddhism. He was born as the Prince of Sakyans, and was called Siddhartha Gautama. At the
age of 35, he attained supreme Enlightenment and became the Buddha and was the called
Shakyamuni.
Siddhartha: Siddhartha in Sanskrit, Siddhartha in Pali. The given name of Shakyamuni when he
was born to the King Suddhodana. The name means "wish fulfilled”.
Stupa: (Sanskrit) Originally, a tumulus or burial mound enshrining relics of a holy person such
as the Buddha or object associated with his life.
Suddhodana: Pure Rice Prince, the father of Shakyamuni, ruled over the Sakyans at
Kapilavatthu on the Nepalese border. Tathagata: (Pali/Skt.) Literally, "one who has become
authentic (tatha-agata),” an epithet used in ancient India for a person who has attained the highest
religious goal. In Buddhism, it usually denotes the Buddha, although occasionally it also denotes
any of his Arahant disciples.
The Three Jewels: Or the Triple Gem, i.e. the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, which are
the three essential components of Buddhism. They are the objects of veneration. Buddhists take