Glossary
Aeon. 1,334,000,000 years. Often expressed as the time it would take for a mountain of solid rock of ten cubic leagues to wear down if the tip of a heavenly maiden's delicate tunic brushed against it every hundred years. A fantastically long period of time.
Affliction. Condition or cause of pain, distress, and suffering which disturbs the body and mind.
Alaya Consciousness (Sanskrit or Skrt). Our store consciousness, the thought database from all our past and present lives, good or bad.
Amitabha. The name of the Buddha of the Western Pure Land, primarily meaning Infinite Life and light. Called Amituofo in Chinese.
Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi (Skrt). Highest, proper and complete enlightenment.
Arhat (Skrt). One who has reached self-realization, a state in which one possesses no erroneous perceptions, views, speech or behavior.
Asuras. Quarrelsome, half-gods.
Attachments. Fixed to certain ideas or objects.
Bodhi Mind (Skrt). The great compassionate and sincere mind, with every thought to attain complete self-realization for self and other.
Bodhisattva (Skrt). One who helps others to reach realization after achieving their own.
Buddha (Skrt). one who has reached perfection in both self-realization and helping others to reach realization.
Delusion. False beliefs, wrong views.
Deva. Heavenly Beings or gods.
Dharma (Skrt). 1) The teachings of the Buddha (generally capitalized in English); 2) Things, events, phenomena, everything; 3) Duty, law, doctrine.
Dharma Ending Age. The Dharma Perfect Age began with Buddha Shakyamuni's demise and lasted five hundred years, during which Enlightenment was often attained. The Dharma Semblace Age began after that and lasted one thousand years, during which Enlightenment was seldom attained. The Dharma Ending Age that we are now in began after that and will last for ten thousand years during which Enlightenment will rarely be attained.
Dusts. Metaphor for all the mundane things that can cloud our self-nature.
Eight Afflictions. Absence of embarrassment and shamefulness, and the presence of jealously, stinginess, misdeeds, drowsiness, sleep, and agitation.
Eight Sufferings. As human beings, we undergo the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, and death. We do not attain what we seek, suffer hardships, are parted from our loved ones, and find ourselves in the presence of those whom we resent or even hate.
Eighth Ground Bodhisattva. There are ten levels or grounds of a Bodhisattva's enlightenment, which summarize the most important steps in a Bodhisattva's path right before attaining Buddhahood. Some say it is at this level that Bodhisattvas reach the stage of Non-regression, the level at which they will never retreat from the Bodhisattva-path.
Five Deadly Offenses. Murdering one's own father, murdering one's own mother, causing a Buddha to bleed, killing a Bodhisattva or an Arhat and disrupting the unity of the Sangha.
Five Desires. Wealth, lust, fame, food-drink, and sleep.
Five Guidelines. Following: 1) The Three Conditions; 2) The Principles of Harmony; 3) The Three Learnings; 4) The Six Paramitas or Principles; and 5) Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's Ten Great Vows.
Five Pure Land Sutras and One Sastra. 1) The Buddha Speaks of the Infinite Life Sutra of Adornment, Purity, Equality and Enlightenment of the Mahayana School, 2) The Amitabha Sutra, 3) The Visualization Sutra, 4) "The Chapter of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva's Conduct and Vows", from the Flower Adornment Sutra, 5) "The Chapter on the Perfect Complete Realization of Great Strength Bodhisattva through Buddha Name Recitation" from the Surangama Sutra, and 6) Vasubandhu Bodhisattva's Report on the Way to Reaching the Pure Land.
Four Universal Vows of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. 1) Sentient beings are innumerable, I vow to help them all; 2) Afflictions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them all; 3) Ways to practice are boundless, I vow to master them all; 4) Enlightenment is unsurpassable, I vow to attain it.
Good Fortune. Happiness, intelligence, well-being, prosperity, etc. The great benefits of the human and celestial realms; therefore, they are temporary and subject to birth and death.
Good Roots. Good qualities or seeds sowed by a good life to be reaped later.
Hungry Ghost. One of the three lower realms. Hungry ghosts wander in a limbo-like state in which they can find no satisfaction for their desires, especially but not exclusively, for their hunger or thirst. One is reborn here if he or she has extreme greed.
Karma (Skrt). Law of Cause and Effect, results from thought, speech and behavior.
Karmic Result. The natural reward or retribution brought about by the Law of Cause and Effect (Karma).
Mahayana (Skrt). One of the two major branches of Buddhism. Bodhisattva path of helping all sentient beings to attain universal liberation.
Merits and Virtues. To do good things without expectation of reward, without discrimination, attachment or wandering thoughts.
Mindfulness of Buddha. Initially the mind remembers the Buddha and does not forget. After further cultivation, one constantly contemplates the Buddha.
Nine Realms. All ten realms minus the Buddha realm.
Non-regression. One who will never retreat from the Bodhisattva-path, some say it is not reached until the eighth of the ten grounds of a Bodhisattva.
Phenomena. Things, events, happenings, everything in the entire universe.
Prajna-Wisdom (Skrt). Intuitive wisdom.
Pratyekabuddha (Skrt). One who attains his enlightenment alone, independent of a teacher, with the objective of attaining Nirvana for him/herself.
Precepts. Rules set up by Buddha Shakyamuni to guide his students from erroneous thoughts, speech and behavior.
Pure Land. See Western Pure Land.
Pure Mind or Purity of Mind. The mind without discrimination or attachments.
Retribution. Karmic punishment from erroneous thought, speech, or action.
Saha World (Skrt). Refer to our solar system, filled with suffering and afflictions, yet gladly endured by its inhabitants.
Samadhi (Skrt). Proper enjoyment. Usually denotes the particular final stage of pure concentration and contemplation. There are many degrees and types of Samadhi.
Sangha (Skrt). Group of four or more peoples who properly practice the Buddha's teaching together, especially The Six Principles of Harmony.
Sanskrit (Skrt). Language of ancient India.
Sastra (Skrt). Commentary on sutras primarily by Bodhisattvas.
Self-Nature. Our original, true self that we still have, but is currently covered by deluded thoughts.
Sentient Being. A living being that is self-aware and that can experience feeling or sensation.
Sharira (Skrt). Relics that remain after cremation indicating the person had attained some degree of purity of body and mind.
Six Paramitas or Principles. Giving, self-discipline, patience, diligence, deep concentration, and wisdom.
Six Principles of Harmony. 1) Share the same viewpoints or goals. 2) Observe the same precepts. 3) Live and practice together harmoniously. 4) Not quarrel. 5) Experience the inner peace and happiness from practicing together harmoniously. 6) Share benefits harmoniously.
Six Realms. Three upper realms are heavens, asuras and humans. Three lower realms are animals, hungry ghosts and hells.
Six Senses. Sight, sound, smell, taste, tough and thought.
Six Sense Objects. Form, sound, scent, taste, texture, and thought.
Six Sense Organs. Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body, and mind.
Sutra (Skrt). Teaching by the Buddha, initially verbally, later compiled and written down by the Buddha's students.
Ten Directions. North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, Northwest, above and below.
Ten Good Conducts. No killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, abusive language, bearing tales, seductive words, greed, anger or ignorance.
Ten Great Vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. 1) Pay respect to all Buddhas. 2) Praise "Thus Come One." 3) Make offerings extensively. 4) Repent of Karmic obstacles. 5) Be joyful over others meritorious deeds. 6) Appeal to the Buddha to turn the Dharma wheel. 7) Request the Buddha to reside in this world. 8) Constantly be a diligent follower of the Buddha's teaching. 9) Accord with all sentient beings. 10) Dedicate all merits.
Ten Realms. Six realms plus those of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Sound-hearers.
Three Conditions. The First Condition includes: Being filial to one's parents, Being respectual to one's teachers and elders, Being compassionate and not killing any living beings, and Following the Ten Good Conducts. The Second Condition includes: Taking the Three Refuges, Abiding by the precepts,laws and customs, and Conducting oneself in a proper and dignified manner. The Third Condition includes: Generating the Bodhi Mind, Deeply believing in the Law of Cause and Effect, Reciting and upholding Mahayana sutras, and Encouraging others to advance on the path to Enlightenment.
Three Learnings. Self-discipline, deep concentration, and wisdom.
Three Poisons. Greed, anger, and ignorance.
Three Refuges. We take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. When we take refuge in the Buddha, we are returning from our deluded state of mind and relying upon an awakened, understanding mind. When we take refuge in the Dharma, we are returning from deviant views and relying upon proper views and understanding. When we take refuge in the Sangha, we are returning from pollution and disharmony and replying upon purity of mind and the Six Principles of Harmony.
Transliteration. To represent (letters or words) in the corresponding characters of another alphabet, so the original sound is retained.
Virtures. See Merits.
Way Place. Usually called a temple, a place where Buddhist practitioners come to practice.
Western Pure Land. World created by Buddha Amitabha. An ideal place of cultivation, those who are born there are no longer subject to reincarnation.
