THE BUDDHA - the enlightened One

GAUTAMA (GOTAMA, Pali) - a brahmin family name but his family was Kshatriyas (warrior-rulers).  His aunt and later adopted mother’s name was Gotami.

SIDDHARTA - his "first" name, "he who has achieved his goal."

SHAKYAMUNI - Sage of the Shakyas, his clan or people. Capital in Kapilavastu in present day Nepal.

BHAGAVAD - The "Blessed One" (i.e., the Buddha)

TATHAGATA - "Thus Gone" [to the other side, viz. Nirvana]

MAYA - the Buddha's mother. Maya is one of the technical terms from Hindu Vedanta philosophy (meaning illusory existence for the most extreme school Advaita Vedanta). The terms is also used for the Hindu Goddess, where the meaning is cosmic creative power. It is pretty obvious that the Buddhist writers are appropriating this Hindu Goddess tradition.

LUMBINI - Alleged birthplace

BODHGAYA - Bodhi Tree--place of enlightenment--stayed there 49 days.

BENARES - (Kashi, ancient name; currently, Varanasi). Spent much time here.

SARNATH - the Deer Park Sermon, near Benares.

RAJAGRHA - received by the king, capital of the state of Magadha.

VAISHALI - in his 80th year he fell ill here. Site of the Second Council.

KUSINGARA - lay down between two trees and died. Early name: Kusinara

NALANDA - Shariputra's home and site of the greatest university in ancient Asia. Active until 3rd century C.E.

AJANTA and ELLORA - fabulous cave temples, near Aurangabad.

SANCI - large stupa containing Shariputra's relics.

GANDHARA - Buddhist center in present day Pakistan. Beginnings of Buddhist art and the route of Buddhism to China.

ABHAYA--fearless.  Names one of the Buddha's mudras.

AGAMA--sacred teaching of the entire Tripitaka, the "three baskets" of the Pali canon.

ANAGAMIN--will not return

ANATMA (ANNATA, Pali)--no self, i.e., no Atman, the eternal, unchanging spiritual substance of Hindu philosophy. For Hindu Vedanta, Atman is identical with Brahman, the Godhead, or the divine substance of the universe.

ANNICA (Pali)--impermance, one of the three characteristics of existence, together with dukkha and annata.

ARHAT (Pali, ARAHAT)--the saint with "no defiling tendencies"

ARUPA--

AVICI HELL--the lowest level of Buddhist hells.

AVIDYA (Pali, AVIJJA)--

BIKSHU (BHIKKHU, Pali)--monk

CETANA--the Buddhist equilavent of the will, the faculty that allows us to make the right choices.

CHANDA (Pali)--ordinary desire as opposed to tanha, which is best translated as craving.

DHARMA (DHAMMA, Pali)--

DHYANA (JHANA, Pali); Chan, Chinese; Zen, Japanese

DOSA--as hatred it is one of the three "fires" that burn in the mind, the other two being lust and illusion.

DUKHA (DUKKHA, Pali)--

JIVA--the self as "life principle,'' the sum total of the actions of the five skandhas.  It can be seen as the same as nama-rupa.   The Buddha does not reject this self, only the Atman of Hinduism.

JNANA--

KARMA (KAMMA, Pali)--

KLESA (KILESA, Pali)--defilement, moral depravity; refers to the "three fires" of hatred, lust, and illusion.

KUSALA--wholesome as akusala is unwholesome.

LAKSHANA--term for the 32 marks of perfection.

MAITRI (METTA, Pali)--

MUDRA--stylized spiritual gesture

NAMA-RUPA--

NIRVANA (NIBBANA, Pali)--

PRAJNA (PANNA, Pali)

PARINIRVANA--Nirvana at death or Nirvana without substrate (i.e., the body). This is technical name for images of the "reclining" or "dying" Buddha.

SAKADAGAMIN--will return once again

SAMADHI--

SAMSARA--The Wheel of Existence--death, rebirth, death, etc.

SAMSKARA (SANKHARA, Pali)--

SANGHA--

SKANDHAS (Pali: KHANDHAS)- The constitutents of the Buddhist self, which is a relationship of body, feeling , perception, disposition, and consciousness.

SOTAPANNA - s/he who has entered the stream, and will not return to any lower existence. Crossing the stream from Samsara to Nirvana.

SUKHA--

SUTRA (SUTTA, Pali)--

TRISHNA (TANHA, Pali)--

TUSHITA HEAVEN--the highest heaven.  Mahayanists believe that the Buddha of the Future (Maitreya) is waiting here before he returns to earth as a universal savior.

TERMS FOR SECOND EXAM

You are responsible for only those in bold.  Please consult your own dictionary for more details. All terms are in Sanskrit unless otherwise noted.

ADI-BUDDHA

AHIMSA

AMITABHA (AMIDA, Jap.)

AKSHOBYA--one of the Dhyani Buddhas, the Buddha of the East.

AMOGHASIDDHI--one of the Dhyani Buddhas, the Buddha of the North

AVALOKITESHARA--

BODHI--

BODHISATTVA - literally "being of enlightenment"

CHORTEN--Tibetan word for the Sanskrit stupa (thupa, Pali; cheddhi, Thai), meaning reliquary.

CITTA--mind, consciousness, or heart.

DAKINIS--female counterparts to male deities in Tibetan Buddhism.

DANA--virtue of alms-giving.  One of the three acts of merit, the other two being moral conduct and meditation.

DHARMAKAYA--

DHYANI BUDDHAS

GATHA

HINAYANA--"Small" vehicle across the stream of existence, viz., monks only.

KARUNA--

MAHAYANA - "Large" vehicle across the strema of existence, carrying all people.

NIRMANAKAYA--

PADMESAMBHAVA

PARAMITA--perfection, as in the six to ten spiritual perfections of the Bodhisattva: dana (charity), sila (morality), kshanti (patience), virya (vigour), dhyana (meditation), and prajna (wisdom).

PRAJNAPARAMITA

PRATYEKA (PACCEKA, Pali) BUDDHAS--they who seek enlightenment for their own sake. As opposed to the Mahayana ideal of the Bodhisattvas, who deny themselves Nirvana until all beings reach it.

SAMBHOGAKAYA--

SHRAVAKAS--they who strive to attain Arhatship.

SIDDHAS--

SUKHAVATI--

VAJRA (DORJE, Tibetan)--

TRIKAYA--

UPAYA