From: Paul Hopkins (UK)

A glossary of Buddhist terms

 

As Buddhism spread through the East it was expressed in many languages. Terms in the Sanskrit and Pali of idea are the most common of those used in the West, although Japanese and Tibetan also occur. Pali is the language of the texts used of the Theravara school, while Sanskrit is used for general Mahayna. Zen Buddhism uses terms expressed in Japanese, and Tibetan Buddhism in Tibetan

Note: The terms are given in the form Pali spelling / Sanskrit spelling. The Pali terms are in bold unless the other form is the more usual. Words in blue are also defined in the glossary, and clicking on them will take you to the correct part of the glossary for that definition.

 

A	B	C	D	E	F
G	H	I	J	K	L
M	N	O	P	Q	R
S	T	U	V	W	XYZ

 

Abhidhamma	Abhidharma	Further or higher teaching. The philosophy of Buddhism in abstract, systematic form.
Abhidhamma Pitaka	Abhidharma Pitaka	The 3rd of the 3 principal sections of the canon of basic scripture.
	Amitabha Amitayus	Also Amida (Japanese) - Buddhas having unlimited light and life respectively. One of the deities of the Tantric pantheon. The Buddha of Infinite Light, the perfected state of our faculty of perception/discrimination.
Amida (Japanese)	Amitabha	Buddha having unlimited light.
	Amitayus	Buddha having unlimited life.
Anapanasati	Anapanasmrti	Mindfulness of the breath. The practice most usually associated with the development of concentration and calm but also used in the training of Vipassana (insight)
Anatta	Anatman	No self or no soul. Insubstantiality, denial of a real or permanent self.  One of the Three Marks of Existence which are part of the basic teachings of Buddhism. Doctrine of non-separateness of all forms of life; applied to people, there is no immortal ego or self, the unchanging and immortal being the possession of no one human being.
Anicca	Anitya	Impermananence; transience. Instability of all things, including the self.
Arahat, Arahant	Arhat	Enlightened disciple. The 4th and highest stage of realisation recognised by the Theravra tradition. One whose mind is free from all greed. hatred and ignorance.
Arhant	Arahant	The Hinayana ideal of an enlightened person
Asala	Esala	Annual festival in July / August for the tooth relic of Gotama Buddha .
Asoka	Ashoka	Emperor of India in the 3rd century BCE.
Atta	Atman	Self or Soul.
Avadanus		Legends of Buddhist heros and heroines.

Ajahn: (Thai) Thai form of the Sanskrit Acharya (teacher). Meditation master.

Anagarika: Lit: homeless one. Someone who has adopted a homeless life without formally ordaining as a monk.

Anapana Sati: (Pali) Meditation on mindful breathing.

Ango: (Japanese) Longer intensive practice period.

Anger: One of the five (poisons, i.e. negative emotions) causes of conditioned suffering (Samsara).

Anila: (Tibetan) Respectful form of address for a nun.

Atisha: (982-1054) Indian scholar; in Tibet from 1038 till his death. Entirely reformed the prevailing Buddhism. Founded the Kadampa school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Attachment: One of the five (poisons, i.e. negative emotions) causes of conditioned suffering (Samsara).

Avalokitesvara: (Sanskrit) Boddhisattva of Compassion (Tibetan: Chenrizig).

 

 

 

Bhikkhu	Bhikshu	Fully ordained Buddhist monk. Those living from alms or offerings given by lay Buddhists. Often translated as "monk."
Bhikkhuni	Bhikshuni	Fully ordained Buddhist nun. The feminine of the above. Often translated as "nun."
Bodh Gaya		The sight of the Enlightenment of Gotma Buddha, near Gaya in Bihar; a place of pilgrimage.
Bodhi Tree		The tree (ficus religiosa) under which the Buddha realised Enlightenment. It is known as the Tree of Wisdom.
Bodhicitta		The will to enlightenment
Bodhisatta		A Wisdom Being. One intent on becoming, or destined to become, a Buddha. Gotama, before his Enlightenment as the historical Buddha. A being pledged to become a Buddha so as to be able to help all other beings to escape suffering by becoming Enlightened.
	Bodhisattva	A being destined for Enlightenment, who postpones final attainment of Buddhahood in order to help living living beings (see Mahayana). A being pledged to become a Buddha so as to be able to help all other beings to escape suffering by becoming Enlightened.
Brahma Sahampati		The God who asked the Buddha to make the teaching known to all, for the sake of all living beings.
Brahma Viharas		The four sublime states: loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and evenness of mine. The four sublime states or virtues which elevate man. These are loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
Buddha	Buddha	Awakened or Enlightened one. "Awakened One." One who has attained Enlightenment. Particularly applies to Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. The Buddha principle which manifests in various forms. For Theravadans, only one Buddha is accepted in each age; for Mahayanans, there are countless transcendent Buddhas which represent embodiments of various aspects of the Buddha principle.

Bardos: (Tibetan) The state between two other states of being, especially the intermediate state between one life and the next.

Bhavana: (Sanskrit, Pali) Self-development by any means, especially meditation, mind development, and concentration; meditative practices.

Bodhicaryavatara: (Sanskrit) A text of Shantideva (Indian seventh-century Bodhisattva).

Bodhichitta: (Sanskrit; Boddhicitta, Pali) Compassionate wish to gain Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Bodhidharma: Indian Buddhist who went to Chinese court in 520 CE; founder of Zen Buddhism.

Buddhadharma: (Pali) The Buddha's teachings.

Buddharupa: Statue or image of the Buddha.

 

 

D

Dalai Lama (Tibetan)		Great Ocean. Spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. (formerly) the ruler and chief monk of Tibet, believed to be a reincarnation of Avalokitesvara and sought for among newborn children after the death of the preceding Dalai Lama, see also Tashi Lama
Dana		Giving. One of the basic Buddhist virtues, it is the opposite of greed and translates as "generosity" or "giving."
Dhamma	Dharma	Universal law; ultimate truth. The teachings of the Buddha. A key Buddhist term.  Has numerous meanings. Among other things it can mean truth or reality. Also stands for those teachings and methods which are conductive to gaining Enlightenment and thereby seeing things as they truly are, refers particularly to the teachings of the Buddha.
Dhammapada	Dharmapada	Famous scripture of 423 verses.
Dhamma Vijaya		Literally "Victory to the Dhamma" or conquest by means of Buddhist practices and teachings.
	Dharmakaya	The truth body, truth itself
Dhyana	Dana	Generosity; giving; gift
Diamond Sutra		A popular Mahayana book of wisdom; associated with Vajrayana since it cuts like a thunderbolt.
Dukkha	Dukha	Suffering; ill; unsatisfactoriness; imperfection. The nature of existence according to the first Noble Truth.

Daruma-kata aiki: (Japanese) Movement forms designed to harmonize body, breath, speech, and mind. Esoteric Zen practice traditionally reputed to have been taught by Bodhidharma.

Dathun: Month-long meditation retreat.

Dharmacarya: Lay Dharma teacher.

Dharmasala: Rest house for pilgrims.

Dharmata: (Sanskrit) Ground for being, the essence of everything; unifying spiritual reality; the absolute from which all proceeds.

Dojo: (Japanese) Zen training hall.

Dorje:Vajra (Sanskrit). Something invincible, something that can cut through anything else. Literal referents of dorje are "thunderbolt" and "diamond". The Dorje is a vajrayana ritual implement symbolizing method.

Dojo: (Japanese) Zen training hall.

Dokusan: (Japanese) In Zen, a question-and-answer session with the Master or Roshi during which progress is tested.

 

 

 

Enlightenment

Reaching a state of grace or realisation of the truth

 

Gompa (Tibetan)		Monastry place of meditation.  Teaching and practice hall; isolated place or monastic site.
Gotama	Gautama	Family name of the Buddha.
	Guru	Religious Teacher. Teacher, particularly a spiritual master.

Gampopa: (1079-1153) Tibetan scholar, disciple of Milarepa and Marpa, whom he succeeded; one of the founders of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Gen-Mai: (Japanese) Traditional rice soup; sometimes offered after practice sessions at some Japanese Zen centers.

Geshe: (Tibetan) Gelugpa title equivalent to Doctor of Divinity.

Green Tara: see Tara.

 

 

Hinayana

"Small vehicle": term to be avoided in favour of Theravada.

Hannya Shingyo: (Japanese) Diamond Sutra- main Buddhist sutra chanted by Zen practitioners.

Hatha Yoga: (Sanskrit) Form of yoga involving physical exercises and breath control.

Hatto: (Japanese) Dharma hall.

Hevajra: (Sanskrit) One of the Tantric texts of Tibetan Buddhism.

Hitsuzendo: (Japanese) Calligraphy used as a meditative practice in some Zen traditions.

Hondo: (Japanese) Sanctuary.

 

 

Jataka		Birth story. Accounts of the previous lives of the Buddha.
Jhana	Dhyana	Also Ch'an (Chinese) and Zen (Japanese). Advanced meditation.
Juzu	Mala	Prayer beads used to aid with meditation and sometimes used to count the number of times that a chant has been repeated.

Jealousy:One of the five (poisons, i.e. negative emotions) causes of conditioned suffering (Samsara).

Jewels, Three: The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha- the three highest values of Buddhism.

Jukai: (Japanese) Precepts-taking ceremony.

 

 

Kamma	Karma	Action. Intentional actions that affect one's circumstances in this and future lives. The Buddha's insistence that the effect depends on volition marks the Buddhist treatment of kamma as different from the Hindu understanding of karma. Lit: action. Cause and effect; our willed actions (including physical, mental and vocal) will have consequences for us in the future.
Karuna	Karuna	Compassion
Kathina	Kathin	Ceremony at which the laity dedicate a cotton cloth to the monks for use as robes; usually takes place at Was.
Kesa (Japanese)		The robe of a Buddhist monk, nun or priest.  Zen monk garment.
Khandha	Skandha	Heap, aggregate. The Five Khandas together make up the 'person' (form, feeling, perception, mental formation and consciousness).
Khanti	Kshanti	Patience, forbearance
Kilesa	Klesa	Mental defilement or fire; such as greed, hatred or ignorance.
Koan (Japanese)		A technical term used in Zen Buddhism referring to enigmatic or paradoxical questions used to develop intuition. Also refers to religious problems encountered in daily life.   Formalized riddle, used in Rinzai Zen as a device to throw the student against the ultimate question of his or her own nature.
Kushinara		The place where Gotama Buddha died, near Kasia in Uttar Pradesh; a place of pilgrimage.
Kwan-yin (Chinese)		Also Kannon (Japanese). Bodhisattva of Compassion, depicted in female form. Identified with Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
Kuan Yin (Chinese)		(; Japanese, Kannon; Tibetan, Avalokiteshvara) Bodhisattva of infinite compassion and mercy.

Kaisando: (Japanese) In Zen, founder's hall and dokusan room.

Kanna-Zen: (Japanese) Form of Rinzai Zen founded in the twelfth century.

Kannon: see Kuan Yin.

Khenpo: (Tibetan) Title usually of an Abbot; indicates high scholarship in Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu schools.

Khyentse: (Tibetan) Lit: one in whom wisdom and compassion are perfectly combined, name of a number of exceptional Nyingma Lamas during past two hundred years.

Kinhin: (Japanese) Formal marching during periods of rest from zazen to loosen stiff joints and exercise the body.

Kum Nye: (Tibetan) Gentle Tibetan yoga system.

Kusen: (Japanese) Oral teachings.

Kuti: Accommodation for individual meditation.

Kyudo: (Japanese) Art of archery used as a meditation practice in some Zen traditions.

 

 

 

Lama (Tibetan)		Teacher, or one who is revered.  Spiritual teacher who may or may not be a celibate monk venerated as an authentic embodiment of the Buddhist teachings. For the Tibetan, he is particularly important because he not only teaches rituals but conducts them. May be head of one or more monasteries and possess political influence. Today, often used as a polite form of address for any Tibetan monk regardless of his spiritual development.
Lamaism		The Buddhism of Tibet and Mongolia, a Mahayana form including non- Buddhist Indian elements as well as elements of the pre-existing Bon shamanism. Also called Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle).
	Lakshanas	Literally 'charcteristics' as in the three charcteristics of conditioned existence
	Lotus Sutra	A scripture of major importance to various schools within the Mahayana tradition. It describes the virtues of the Buddha, and emphasises that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature and can attain Enlightenment (Nirvana).
Lobha		Greed or Lust
Lumbini		Birthplace of the Gotama Buddha in Nepal; a place of pilgrimage.

Lamrim: (Tibetan) Lit: Graduated Path. System of teaching founded by Atisha (eleventh-century Indian Master) in which all the stages of the path to enlightenment are laid out in a very clear and systematic manner. All four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism have produced Lamrim texts.

Lodjong: (Tibetan) Lit: mind training. Based on Lamrim teachings- explains how to train the mind in daily life for the development of Bodhicitta.

Longchen: (1308-1363) Greatest scholar of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Lotus Flower:Used as a metaphor for the potential of Buddha nature. A lotus flower can grow out of a dark muddy pond, free form any of the dirt from which it came.

 

 

Magga	Marga	Path, leading to cessation of suffering. The fourth Noble Truth.
	Mahayana	Great Way or Vehicle. Teachings that spread from India into Tibet, parts of Asia and the far East, characterised by the Bodhisattva ideal and the prominence given to the development of both compassion and wisdom.
Mala		Also Juzu (Japanese). String of 108 beads used in Buddhist practice (like a rosary).
	Mandala	Literally a circle. Adiagrammatic representation of everything.   In the context of Tantra, a symmetrical design used as an object of meditation.
Metta	Maitri	Loving kindness A pure love which is neither grasping nor possessive.
Metta Sutta		Buddhist scripture which describes the nature of loving kindness.
Metteya	Maitreya	One who has the nature of loving kindness. Name of the future Buddha.  Embodiment of loving-kindness of all the Buddhas; historical figure- a Bodhisattva disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni; the coming Buddha, fifth in the line of the thousand Buddhas who will descend to this world. Currently said to reside in Tushita- a Buddhist heaven.
Moha		Delusion
Mudda	Mudra	Ritual gesture, as illustrated by the hands of Buddha images.
Mudita	Mudita	Sympathetic joy. welcoming the good fortune of others.

Mahamudra: (Sanskrit) Has several meanings; as a practice it is popular in Kagyu and Gelug schools of Tibetan Buddhism; as a path it is a sequence of systematic advanced meditations on emptiness and pure appearance.

Mahathera: Title for Bhikku of twenty years' standing, usually called Theras.

Mantra: (Sanskrit) String of sound symbols recited to concentrate and protect the mind.

Mara: (Sanskrit) Lit: death. Evil influences that impede one's spiritual transformation. Personified as a "tempter" whose baits are the sensory pleasures.

Marpa: (1012-1097) Tibetan founder of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism; most famous pupil was Milarepa.

Metta Bhavana: (Pali) Meditation on loving-kindness.

Milarepa: (1038-1122) Tibetan poet-saint; one of the founders and greatest figure in the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Mudra: (Sanskrit) Lit: seal, sign. Bodily posture or symbolic gesture imbued with symbolic significance which may be used in ritual. In Tantra, may refer to a female consort.

 

 

Nibbana	Nirvana	Blowing out of the fires of greed, hatred and ignorance, and the state of secure perfect peace that follows. A key Buddhist term.   Ultimate goal of Buddhist endeavor- permanent cessation of all suffering.
	Nirmana-kaya	Transformation body the means by which the Buddha is manifested for the benefit of humanity.
Nirodha	Nirodha	Cessation (of suffering). The third Noble Truth.
Noble Truth		A basic tenant of Buddhist teaching along with the Eightfold Path.

Naropa: (eleventh century) Indian master and accomplished scholar; teacher of Marpa and Milarepa; particularly famous for his Six Yogas of Naropa.

Nembutsu: (Japanese) Recitation of The Name of Amida Buddha, which in Japanese form that most Shin Buddhists use is Namu Amida Butsu or Namuamidabu, which literally means "I take refuge in Amida Buddha." Principal practice of Pure Land Buddhism.

Ngondro: (Tibetan) Preliminary practices normally undertaken by a meditator prior to engaging in Tantric practice.

Noble silence: During retreats, when students should not talk among themselves, but may speak to teachers and managers.

Nyinthun: (Tibetan) Meditation practice for a whole day.

Nyung-Neh: (Tibetan) Fasting ritual normally led by a monk or nun.

 

 

Pagoda		Also Dagoba, Chorten and Wat. Alternative names in difference countries for stupa or place of worship. (See Stupa)
Pali Canon		Buddhist sciptures of the Theravadin School
Panca-sila	Pansil	The five requisites of good behaviour for all lay and monastic Buddhists which are often recited in ceremonies. Bikkhus have to obey an extra five making ten or Das-sila.
Panna	Prajna	Wisdom. Understanding the true nature of things.
Parami	Paramita	A perfection or virtue. On of the six or ten perfections necessary for the attainment of Buddhahood.
Paranibbana	Paranirvana	The death of the Buddha
Parinibbana	Parinirvana	Final and complete nirvana reached at the passing away of a Buddha.
Paticcasamuppada	Pratityasamutpada	Dependent origination or conditioned co-production
Pitaka		Basket. Collection of scriptures (cf Tipitaka).
	Prajna	Wisdom
	Pratyekabuddha	A non teaching Buddha
	Puja	Buddhist 'worship' or deveotional ceremony. Sacremental offering which may be associated with body, speech, and mind.
	Punya	Merit
Pure Land		A school of Mahayana Buddhism which takes its name from the Lotus Sutra. It teaches salvation by faith in Amitaba, a Buddha of immeasurable light. It is particularly popular in Japan (Jodo) and China (Ching-t'u).

Padmasambhava: (eighth century) Indian Buddhist who visited Tibet at the invitation of the king and taught various Buddhist principles; credited with founding the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Phowa: (Tibetan) Ejection of consciousness at the moment of death. Transmission of consciousness.

Precepts: 5, 8, 10, or 16 guides to behavior. 

Pride:One of the five (poisons, i.e. negative emotions) causes of conditioned suffering (Samsara).

 

 

Red Hats		The original sect of Tibetan Buddhist monks, whose doctrines were much influenced by the earlier Bon religion. see also Yellow Hats
Rupa	Rupa	Form. Used of an image of the Buddha; also, the first of the Five Khandhas -

Rakusu: (Japanese) Zen monk garment.

Retreat: Intensive periods of meditation which may be long- or short-term.

Right livelihood: Fifth stage of the Noble Eightfold Path. Earning a living in accordance with Buddhist ethics.

Rinpoche: (Tibetan) Lit: precious one. Honorific of a high lama, denotes reincarnation of a realized master.

Roshi: (Japanese) Lit: old venerable master. Title of a Zen master who can be either monk or lay, man or woman.

 

 

 

Sakyamuni	Shakyamuni	Sage of the Shakyas (The tribe of the Buddhas). Title of the historical Buddha.
Samadhi	Samadhi	Meditative absorption. A state of deep meditation. Lit: union. Profound meditative state; focus on a single object through calming of mental activity; one-pointed ness of mind.
Samatha	Samatha	A state of concentrated calmness; meditation (see Vipassana)
Samsara	Samsara	Everyday life. The continual round of birth, sickness, old age and death which can be transcended by following the Eightfold Path and Buddhist teaching.  [also see Four Noble Truths] World of rebirth and death; the succession of rebirths until liberation is attained; cyclic existence.
Samudaya	Samudaya	Arising; origin (of suffering). The second Noble Truth.
Sangha	Sangha	community; assembly. Often used for the order of bikkhus and bhikkunis in Theravadin countries. In the Mahayana countries, the Sangha includes lay devotees and priests, e.g. in Japan. The Buddhist community as a whole, sometimes referring to the community of Buddhist monks, nuns, and novices.
Sankhara	Samskara	Mental/karmic formation. The fourth of the five Khandhas.
Sanna	Samjna	Perception. Third of the five Khandhas.
Satori (Japanese)		Awaking. A term used in Zen Buddhism.
Skandhas	Skanda	Constituent elements of being; the 5 elements which make up a personality.
Siddattha	Siddhartha	Wish-fulfilled. The personal name of the historical Buddha.
Sila	Sila	Morality.
Stupa	Stupa	Monument containing Buddhist relics, also a symbol of the different elements   Originally a structure built to commemorate a Buddha or other highly developed person, often containing relics; became a symbol for the mind of a Buddha.
Sutta	Sutra	Text. The word of the Buddha. The sermons of Gautama Buddha; any collection of teachings
Sutta Pitaka	Sutra Pitaka	The second of the three collections - principally of teachings - that comprise the canon of basic scripture.

 

Sadhana: (Sanskrit) In Tantra, a type of text and the meditation practices presented in it which relate to deities to be experienced as spiritual realities.

Samu: (Japanese) Manual work used as part of meditative practice in Zen schools.

Sangye Menla: (Tibetan) Medicine Buddha. Prayer ritual for sick people.

SanZen: see dokusan.

Satipatthana: (Pali) System of mind development by the analysis of consciousness.

Sayadaw: (Myanmar) Equivalent of Mahathera or Bhikku of twenty years' standing; title given to highly respected Bhikkus.

Sensei: (Japanese) Teacher.

Sera: (Tibetan) Large monastic college in Lhasa, Tibet. One of the three main monastaries in Tibet, with Ganden and Drepung.

Sesshin: (Japanese) Lit: to search the heart. Intensive Zen retreat.

Shamatha: (Sanskrit; Samatha, Pali) Basic meditation practice common to most schools of Buddhism, whose aim is to tame and sharpen the mind as a springboard for insight (Vipashyana; Vipassana).

Shantideva: (7th century) Indian compiler and writer of important Buddhist works.

Shikantaza: (Japanese) A form of zazen consisting of just sitting with no supportive techniques such as counting the breath.

Shine: Meditation for developing calmness.

Shuryo: (Japanese) Study hall.

Silas: (Pali) Lit: obligations, precepts. Morality or virtue.

Six Yogas of Naropa: System of advanced Tantric meditation originating from the Indian Master Naropa and used by the Kagyu and Gelug schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Soji: (Japanese) Temple-cleaning after a practice session.

 

 

Tashi Lama (Tibetan)		Any of a succession of Tibetan monks and spiritual leaders, second in importance only to the Dalai Lama. Also called Bainquen Lama, Panchen Lama, or Panchen Rimpoche [after Tashi (Lumpo) name of monastery of which this Lama is abbot]
Tanha	Trishna	Thirst; craving; desire (rooted in ignorance). Desire as the cause of suffering. The second Noble Truth.
Tathagata	Tathagata	Another epithet for the Buddha
Theravada	Sthaviravada	Way of the elders. A principle school of Buddhism, established in Sri Lanka and South East Asia. Also found in the West.
Three Refuges	Threefold Refuge	"I go to the Buddha for refuge"; I go to the Dhamma for refuge"; I go to the Sangha for refuge." This prayer form the three Jewels.
Thupa / Cetiya	Stupa	Reliquary (including Pagodas)
Tipitaka	Tripitaka	Three baskets. A threefold collection of texts (Vinaya, Sutta, Abhidamma).
Tiratana	Triratna	The triple refuge. Buddha, the Dharmma and the Sangha. Another way of referring to the three jewels.
Tisarana	Trisharana, Triratna	"Three Jewels"; threefold refuge of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha.
	Trikaya	The three bodies of the Buddha (Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakaya, Dharmakaya)
	Tri-laskhana	The three characteristics or 'marks' of existence
Tulku (Tibetan)		Reincarnated Lama.

Tantra: (Sanskrit) Lit. "thread" or "continuity". Form of Buddhism using yogic practices of visualization, mantra, mudra, and mandalas, as well as symbolic ritual and meditations which work with subtle psychophysical energies; the texts or teahcings in which these are described.

Tara: (Sanskrit) An emanation from the Bodhisattva Avolokiteshvara. Embodies the feminine aspect of compassion, seen in both peaceful and wrathful depictions and in various colors, the Green Tara and the White Tara being the forms most frequently seen.

Teisho: (Japanese) Presentation by Zen Master addressing students directly in the moment.

Thangka: (Tibetan) Tibetan religious painting.

Thera: (Pali) Lit: elder. Bhikkhu of ten years' standing.

Three Jewels: see Jewels, Three.

Transmission: Passing on of oral teachings and scriptures with related commentary in an uninterrupted lineage or succession from person to person from ancient times.

Tsechu: (Tibetan) Offering ceremony.

Tsog: (Tibetan) Feast offerings.

Tsongkhapa: (1355-1417) Tibetan reformaer of Buddhism. Founded Ganden Monastery and founded the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Tulku: (Tibetan) Voluntary reincarnation of a religious figure of some distinction.

 

 

Upaya		Any skillful means e.g. meditation on loving kindness, to overcome anger.
Upekkha	Upeksa	Equanimity; evenness of mind.
Uposatha		Meeting held at the new moon to teach the Dhamma and observe the Vinaya.

Upasaka: (Sanskrit, Pali) Buddhist lay member who takes refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha and who vows to observe the five precepts.

Upasika: (Sanskrit, Pali) Female upasaka.

 

 

	Vajrayana	Thunderbolt; Diamond Way. Teachings promulgated later, mainly in India and Tibet. Another term for esoteric Buddhism. Lit: The Diamond Vehicle. Buddhist Tantra of India and the Himalayan region. Sometimes used as an alternative term for Tibetan Buddhism. Arose in first millenium in northern India from Mahayana and spread to Tibet, China, and Japan. Characterized by a psychological method based on highly developed ritual practices.
Vassa		The three month 'rainy season' retreat
Vedana		Feeling. The second of the five Khandhas.</